


An Unplanned friendship

by Bunnyfeeties



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Depressed Mabel, Dipper is a jerk, Human Bill Cipher, Protective Bill Cipher, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-27
Updated: 2016-04-10
Packaged: 2018-05-16 11:23:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 24,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5826757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bunnyfeeties/pseuds/Bunnyfeeties
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bill Cipher just planned on tricking Mabel into trusting him so he could turn her against her brother. Though things didn't exactly go the way he wanted it to. He found that every time she was in danger or got hurt, he had an unexplained need to protect her. To shield her from harm's way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Mabel Pines sat at the top of the stairs, the door to the basement wide open. Though should it really be called a door when really it was just a vending machine that opened to reveal a dark separate world that was all but unknown to Mabel? She had been sitting there for the past hour, her knees pulled up to her chest and her bright pink sweater over her knees. Mabel's bushy brown hair was nearly covering her face, but instead created a curtain that acted as blinders to her left and right. This made her expression unreadable from the sides of her, but anyone coming up the stairs would have full view of her heartbroken expression. 

Mabel hadn't wanted to eavesdrop necessarily, but only wished to know what she was missing out on. What the big deal was. She wanted to know what was keeping her twin from hanging out with her as he normally did. But really all she could hear were things she couldn't understand. 

Her newly found Grunkle and her brother were chattering away excitedly and she couldn't understand any of it. In her words, they would be discussing “nerd stuff”. But really, she just didn’t want to admit that she couldn’t understand what they were talking about because they were smarter than her. They said things so complicated on purpose just so that Mabel wouldn’t be able to understand

Though as soon as she decided to go down there and include herself, she heard the roll of the dice and excited whooping and she knew they were playing that game again and decided it would be best not to bother them. Last time she thought she would see what they were up to in the middle of the game, she had gotten scolded for going down in the basement when she wasn’t allowed. What Mabel didn’t understand was why Dipper was allowed down there and she wasn't. After all, wasn’t she the reason Ford was even here in the first place? Shouldn’t somebody thank her what the good deed she did?

She stood up, smoothing her sweater out and tucking her hair behind her ears. Shuffling to the living room where her Grunkle Stan was sitting on the chair, she sat on the floor and sighed softly. 

The tv was playing Mabel’s favorite show, Ducktective. It was the show her and Dipper used to always watch together though now it seemed he didn’t have time for her anymore. Of course it had to be a new episode and she felt the guilt well up in her chest as she thought about what might happen if Dipper were to find out that she wasn’t telling him about a new episode. After a few seconds of arguing with herself, she decided he probably wouldn’t care anyways. She took the television remote and hit record just for good measure and pulled her knees up to her chest.

“Somethin the matter kid?” Stan asked in a concerned tone. It wasn't often he saw the young girl upset, and when she was, it was either for a completely ridiculous reason or a completely serious one. For instance, one day she was crying and sobbing because she had broken her yellow crayon and couldn’t color in the sun she drew. Another time, she was crying because she broke her ankle running home. Judging by the seemingly permanent look of hurt on her face, he guessed it was one of those serious times. 

“It’s nothin..” She muttered, not really wanting to talk about it. With a small oink, Waddles had came waddling down the stairs. He settled by her side and she pet him gently, but even that failed to lighten the poor girl's spirits. Though her Grunkle wasn't the smartest, he knew when something was up. It wasn’t every day she was upset and the pig couldn’t console her. 

“Those flushed cheeks and teary eyes don't look like nothin to me. What's up kid.” He said with a hint of finality in his voice. He was going to get the girl to fess up whether she liked it or not. 

“Well it's just...Dipper hasn’t been hanging out with me..like at all..it's always about Grunkle Ford…” She muttered. Now that she said it out loud, she could feel her emotions start to take over. Her throat seemed to close up and her eyes burned and started to water as she held back tears. She could feel her chest aching and her hands shaking as her body willed her to just let go and break down. 

“Oh kid...I know what you mean..” Stan watched his grand niece hold back tears as he once did when he realized him and his brother were drifting apart. 

“I know it isn’t his fault though!! I know that now he as a friend who understands him.. and I can’t exactly do the same thing for him...I’m just..I’m too dumb..” The young girl choked on her tears and looked away from Stan. 

The sight of her breaking down like this made Stan’s heart hurt. Everything she was feeling, Stanley had felt before too. He knew what it felt like to be abandoned, thrown aside by a brother who was smarter than you. He knew what it felt like to want to understand things about quantum physics and theoretical physics but just couldn't comprehend it. Stanley stood from his chair scooped her up into a hug then murmured comforts into her ear and just let her cry. He was doing for her what he wished other would have done for him. 

It was a good hour before Mabel stopped crying and fell into a peaceful slumber. Stan could hear the two in the basement playing away, not a care in the world. They had no idea that the happiest person they knew had spent the last hour crying because she felt abandoned. Purposely forgotten like some childhood phase. 

Stanley stood up and carried the young girl up to the attic and laid her down on her colorful bed. Pulling the covers over her shoulders, he made sure she was nice and warm before smiling a little at her peaceful expression. It was amazing how the girl could go from crying her eyes out to sleeping so calmly.

“Goodnight Pumpkin.” He muttered, walking out. The poor old man had no idea of the danger watching Mabel in her room. Waiting. Wondering. Filled with curiosity. And hatred. He had no idea of the yellow suited man watching his grand niece like a predator watching its prey. 


	2. Chapter 2

Bill had been watching her all day. His yellow suit was perfectly fit for his thin body and one of his eyes was covered with a black eyepatch. He watched her through the window that was shaped like him. Watching as she ate breakfast alone, sadly scooping spoonfuls of cereal into her mouth whereas otherwise, she would be shoveling her cereal into her mouth so she could have time to go outside or play with her brother. Though now it seemed like he was nowhere to be found.

Bill watched her through the mirror, standing at the other side. He watched as she fixed her hair and examined her outfit through the mirror, having no idea there was someone standing at the other side. Later in the day, the man watched with curiosity as she cried over her brother. As he watched, an idea formed in his mind. Here was a young girl who he was familiar with (to an extent), who was sad and in need of comforting. A smile grew on his tan face, showing the side of him that was truly insane.

It wasn't every day he got an opportunity like this. The girl was so gullible and so innocent, he would have her eating out of his hand by the end of the week! Bill let out a loud, high pitched laugh. Oh how beautiful it would be for Bill to turn the poor girl against her brother. Not only will it be easy, Pine Tree’s face will be priceless!!! Bill thought to himself. All it would take is some fake compassion, kind words and a heart felt smile and the girl would be his.

Bill waited until Stan had put Mabel to sleep to actually show himself. When he did, he was merely standing in the middle of the room watching her. He watched her chest rise and fall as she slept and he was tempted to turn it into a beautiful nightmare. Though just as he was about to ruin her night, he realized he didn't have to. Her lips started gradually tilting to a frown and her breathing increased rapidly. Mabel’s eyebrows knitted together and she let out a small, frightened whimper. A wide grin grew yet again on Bill's face as he watched her peaceful sleep become corrupted.

His yellow eyes were glowing with happiness in the dark room, the yellow glow sure to frighten anyone who were to see him. Silence settled in the room, save for the sound of Mabel panicking. Suddenly, Bill disappeared, yellow suit and all and reappeared in Mabel’s dream.

He was standing in the living room of the Mystery Shack and there was no one in sight. Looking around, he decided to make an attempt to find Mabel. The first step of trust was showing her that he cared. That he wasn’t going to let her get hurt. Of course honestly he didn’t care but she wasn’t to know that.

He wandered around, whistling softly, seeing nothing out of place. The only thing wrong was there was no one around. The Shack was quiet. too quiet.

“Oooooh Shooting Star!!” He called out for her but was met with silence. Then, all of the sudden there was a blood curdling scream sounding from the forest. “Ahh there you are.”

Bill jogged outside and frowned as she stepped into a pool of blood. Blood seeping from Mabel’s body as she slowly died, laying on the floor. There was no threat in sight but Dipper, Stanley and Ford were standing not too far away from her, shouting about how she wasn’t ever going to be worth anything and all she was, was a burden. With a snap of Bills fingers, the three of them had disappeared and Bill knelt down to where Mabel was laying, slowly bleeding out. He lifted her and set her in his lap.

“Wh-Who are you…?” Mabel choked, trying to stay conscious. Her entire body ached and a sharp pain shot through her chest every time she tried to breath.

“Its Bill. Bill Cipher,” Mabel’s eyes widened. “yeah yeah I know okay, but just calm down. You’re just dreaming. I’m going to help you.” He set a gentle, gloved hand on the wound in her stomach and healed her.

Mabel was opposed to the idea of him helping her until her body started to relax and she felt just like normal again.

“That's better. I hope you remember who fixes your problems Shooting Star. It isn't going to be your brother who pieces you back together.” Bill stared her down as he spoke, making sure she took in every word he said. Then suddenly he was gone, leaving her to wander the forest of her dream in peace.

Bill stood back in the middle of the room smirking devilishly as her breathing evened out. He then started to laugh, throwing his head back as he disappeared, just leaving the echoing sounds of his laughter.


	3. Chapter 3

After Stan had put the girl to sleep, he went downstairs to the basement to give the two of them a piece of his mind. No one hurts his grand niece like that without consequences. He didn’t care about what they were doing or what they were in the middle of. The only thing that mattered to him was making sure they knew about the pain they had caused Mabel.

As he walked down the metal stairs, the sounds of their excited chatter filled the room. Stanley stopped at the bottom of the stairs, standing in the doorway to the lab. Exactly as expected, Dipper and Ford were smiling and laughing over the board game they were playing that took up the whole room. Just the sight of their smiling faces and cheerful attitudes made anger boil in Stan’s chest. Who did they think they were, staying down here all day and all night. Didn’t Ford realize that Dipper wasn't the only young pines in this house. didnt he know that it was easy for Mabel to feel like she was alone in this world? Stan just couldn't understand why Ford had to be so selfish.

“Hey. Don't you know what you're doing.” Stan hissed. Dipper and Ford immediately stopped their chatter and looked up at him. Dipper looked at him with wide eyes, knowing that it wasn’t often that Stan was genuinely angry with anyone. Ford, however, looked at him with complete disinterest and annoyance. It was as if Ford hadn’t heard anything Stanley had said but was only focused on the fact that he had interrupted their game.

“Stanley really-” Ford begun but was interrupted by Stan.

“No. That poor little girl cried for AN HOUR over this kid right here.” He jabbed his finger in Dippers direction who looked physically hurt by that fact. “All she wants is to play with her brother and I’m not going to let YOU,” he jabbed his finger in Ford’s direction now. “Ruin it.”

Ford’s chest swelled with anger and pride and opened his mouth to defend himself, but was yet again interrupted by his angry brother. “Dipper, go upstairs and get ready for bed. Its getting late. I expect you to spend the day with your sister tomorrow.” Stan watched Dipper shuffle upstairs with a stern glare.

Ford stayed silent but did not look very pleased with Stan. They shared glares but neither of them said a word. With a huff, Stanley trudged upstairs. 

Dipper trudged to the bathroom to brush his teeth, his mood lowering by the minute. He had no idea Mabel felt that way about how much he had been hanging out with Ford. Otherwise, he would have let her know that it was nothing personal, he just wanted to hang out with somebody who actually understood the way he saw the world. He wanted to talk to someone who was actually interested in what he was saying.

Dipper’s eyes narrowed as he stared at himself through the mirror. The longer he thought about it, the more he realized that it really wasn’t his fault that Mabel was so upset over things. Anytime he tried to talk to Mabel about anything, she seemed so uninterested and out of it. Its not his fault that no one ever listens to him and that he wants to hang out with the person that actually does listen. Maybe this would teach Mabel that she should try harder to be a better sister.

I'm not in the wrong here. she is. Dipper thought to himself with a swift nod.

He finished brushing his teeth and angrily ran a brush through his hair. Anyways, if she had a problem with the way things were right now, she’d talk to him about it. So seeing as he hasn’t heard a word from her, he guessed it wasn’t as bad as she’s making it out to be. She was just being a drama queen as always. This was exactly like the time she sobbed over a stupid broken crayon. Mabel cries over every little thing and then is perfectly fine the next day. How is what happened today any different?

Dipper finally came to the conclusion that there was no reason why he should have to go to bed right now and quit the game of Dungeons, Dungeons, Dungeons that he and Ford had started. He waited until he heard Stan shuffle past the bathroom door and into his own room before walking out of the bathroom. He quickly went back downstairs to see Ford starting to clean up the game.

“Wait! We can still play can't we?” Dipper asked eagerly. Ford looked up in surprise, expecting the young boy to be in bed. Ford opened his mouth to ask why he was down here but realization spread across his expression as if he was reading Dippers mind.

“She’s just being a drama queen.” Dipper shrugged, sitting down and rolling the dice to continue the game. Ford took his seat across the room, his eyes scanning over the calculations they had already made. Ford nodded slightly, looking at Dipper now.

“I’m telling you Dipper, she’s just holding you back.” Dipper swallowed thickly and nodded, agreeing with him. All Mabel wanted to do was goof off while Dipper wanted to do things involving sciences and research. Though as always, they couldn’t ever do anything he wanted to do and if they did, Mabel never took it seriously. For the first time in his life, he was considering the fact that maybe he would be better without Mabel by his side.


	4. Chapter 4

In the morning, Mabel woke up alone in the attic. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was expecting because Dipper was probably too busy playing his game to actually sleep up in the attic with her. It's been days since she’s heard the clicking of his pen as he tried to figure out the mysteries to his book before the plot revealed it. To be honest, she almost missed the things about him that used to be annoying.

Sighing she got up and look at herself through the mirror. She frowned slightly as she caught a glimpse of something yellow. Or was it gold? Shaking her head, she decided it wasn't all that important at the moment. What was important right now was getting some food into her stomach as well as Waddles’s. Though contrary to what she expected, she was not feeling any better. She wasn't sure why she expected to feel any better, nothing had changed. Dipper was still in the basement, Grunkle Ford still didn't really care for her and Grunkle Stan was still on the couch. The only thing that had changed was she was upset over the way things were going. 

She walked into the bathroom and sighed. Mabel felt like she didn't belong in this world at all. It wasn't like many people cared about her anyways. Grenda and Candy were better friends with each other than they were with Mabel. Wendy also had other friends, more her age. Mabel was sure that is Wendy had to pick between her and Wendy’s other friends, she would surely pick her other friends. And Dipper of course had Ford who was better for him than she was. 

Feeling low, she stared at herself through the mirror above the sink. She was sure than when she looked away again, she might have caught a glimpse of something gold again but she quickly disregarded that thought. She was much more distracted by the sight of the razors sitting up on the shelf. Frowning slightly, she shut and locked the bathroom door, her hands shaking. She walked slowly back over to the razors and grabbed the box with increasingly more shaky hands. 

Mabel remembers hearing about someone who was depressed and decided it would be a good idea to slice up her wrists every day. Most people at her school criticized her for doing it, including Mabel herself. She couldn’t understand why someone would do that to themselves. After talking to this girl she had heard so much about, he found out that it actually made the girl feel better. The girl told her it made her feel like there was something real in this world. She had begun to feel numb and detached and the pain brought her back to this world. 

Hesitantly grabbing one of the dangerous pieces of metal from the box, she rolled up the sleeve of her sweater. As soon as she she placed the razor upon her wrist, a voice muttered behind her. 

“I’m not too sure you want to do that kid.” The voice said, low and dangerous. 

Mabel froze, too afraid to move. She remembers locking the door and she was absolutely positive no one was in the bathroom with her. The voice quiet and calm and didn’t sound like anyone she recognized immediately. Slowly turning around, she was met with the sight of a man. The man was in a yellow suit, he was tan and had a black eye patch covering his left eye. He seemed vaguely familiar to her in many different ways. There was just something about that bow tie and the way his eyes had a red glint to them. 

“U-Uhm...who are you…? How did you get in here..? What do you want..” Mabel asked, wincing at the tremor in her voice. 

The man held himself with pride as he stared at her. “You don’t recognize me Shooting Star?” 

As soon as the words left his mouth, Mabel’s face turned sheet white and her eyes widened in shock and fear. She dropped the razor and backed away from him.

“L-Leave me alone!” She grit her teeth and glared at him. “It was you in my dream too! What were you doing in there? Trying to hurt me?!”

“Now now,” He held up his hands and gestured for her to calm down. “I was helping you. I healed you remember? And that’s exactly what I’m trying to do right now. I don’t want you to do something you’re going to regret.” He spoke calmly, with the intention of calming her as well. Though despite his claims, Mabel was having none of it. 

“Why. To manipulate me? To get me to trust you so you can kill me? To get me out of the way?” She accused, defiance filling her expression as she gained confidence. Mabel knew he wasn’t just deciding to help her because he suddenly had a change of heart. There had to be some reason why he was bothering her. 

“Shooting S- Mabel. Look. I want to help you. I do. I like manipulating people and messing with them but you...you’re depressed! And I can’t mess with you if you’re thinking about taking your own life can I?” Bill insisted, taking a step closer to her. He hoped that with calling her by her real name, she might realize that she could trust him. Of course, she couldn’t trust him. But there was no reason she had to know that. 

Mabel took shallow breaths, adrenaline coursing through her veins as her heart pumped rapidly. She thought about how he had called her by her name and she thought about his reasoning. The honest expression on his face didn’t seem too fake to her. He seemed like he was genuinely concerned for her and that he honestly wanted to help her. She supposed it wouldn’t hurt to give the man a chance. Though she made sure to remind herself to tread lightly and not to immediately declare him as her best friend as she tends to do sometimes. 

“Well...fine…” Mabel muttered, picking the razor back up off the floor. She gently placed it back in its box and set the box back up on the shelf. She grabbed a brush from the drawer but it was taken from her in a flash. Before she could protest, the brush was being pulled through her hair at the hands of another. 

“Let me.” Bill murmured, gently brushing her hair. He made sure not to hurt her, no because he wanted her to trust him but because it seemed like a reflex. He didn’t even have to remind himself that deliberately not hurting her would help her to trust him. All he did was brush her hair, genuinely caring about her well being. Only slightly.

Mabel stood still, letting Bill brush her bushy hair. Every part of her was telling her to push him away. To go and get Dipper or Ford so they could get rid of him. Though she couldn’t resist the gentle stroke of his hand through her hair as he searched for more tangles. She marveled the way she could tell that he was actually making sure he didn’t yank the brush through, but instead brushed her hair with care. What he was doing made her feel so much better. She no longer had discouraging thoughts and she no longer felt that she was ignored. It shocked her how much better she felt just because someone else was brushing her hair with care. 

Bill put the brush back where it belonged in the drawer after he was finished. Running a final hand through the young girl’s hair, he took a step back. 

“No more harmful thoughts Shooting Star. Keep your chin up.” He gave a genuine smile and bowed to her as if he was about to begin a dance with her. 

The gesture left Mabel frozen with shock as she watched him disappear. Shaking her head, she finished getting ready for the day, not sure if she was going to share with anyone who she had just encountered. Telling Dipper would surely be a bad idea since Mabel wasn’t sure if he could keep her secrets anymore. no doubt Dippers first knee jerk reaction would be to talk to Ford about it. Mabel wasn’t too sure if she was ready to get scolded for letting the demon brush her hair. Even that harmless act would probably be catastrophic to her Grunkle. 

Now that she thought about it, she was almost positive anyone’s advice to her would be to tell her Grunkle Ford about what was going on. Decided, she should keep it to herself, her eyes landed on a certain familiar pig of hers. A smile grew upon her face for the first time in what seemed like an eternity as she picked her friend up. There was no doubt in her mind that she could still tell Waddles about what happened and how she felt about it. Marching back upstairs to her room, she set her pig down on her bed and prepared for a long talk with him. 

Meanwhile, Bill was in a clearing in the woods, pacing left, then right, then back again. His eyebrows knitted together as he lost himself in his thoughts. What he was thinking about, however, did not match the happy, cheerful vibe the forest was emitting. The sight of Mabel nearly harming her own body made his blood boil and he wasn’t sure why. It shouldn’t be his business if she wasn't emotionally stable. He shouldn’t care as much as he did. Bill thought to himself again about how all of the things he was doing was all an act. Thinking so hard about it almost turned it into a chant. 

“It's all an act, it's all an act, it's all an act.” He reminded himself. Though the more he said it, the more it sounded like he was trying to convince himself of it. Sure he had gone into this plan thinking it was all going to be a ruse but now he wasn't so sure.


	5. Chapter 5

Later that same day, Mabel sat on the couch debating on whether she should go downstairs and see Dipper. It had been days since she had seen his face at all. He spent his days down in the basement and she was pretty sure he even slept down there. When he needed to eat, Ford came upstairs and got food for the both of them and brought it back down into the basement. She didn’t even want to take up Dipper’s time anymore, she just wanted to see him. though if he were to give her the time of day, she would probably tell him how she had been feeling. She would tell him what she nearly did in the bathroom and how she had been feeling lately without him. It was up to him what he would do about any of it, if he decided to do anything at all. Mabel just wanted to have the peace of mind knowing that she wasn’t keeping every secret she had from him. 

Trudging downstairs, she swallowed nervously. Talking to either of them was never easy. There were rules placed about her going down into the basement and she was positive they would immediately scold her for even thinking about going down into that basement. 

She took one step into the room before what she suspected came true. 

“Mabel what in the world are you doing?!” Dipper gasped as he threw a blanket over a snow globe looking thing. Ford turned to her with a glare making her visibly flinch.

“I just-” Mabel started, looking down at her hands. 

“No,” Dipper interrupted. “You’re not allowed to be down here. You know that Mabel.” He turned away from her, starting to clean up some things.   
The remark made anger course through her veins. Her eyes narrowed as her breathing picked up, something she did when she was angry or upset. 

“How come you can be down here but I can’t!” Mabel crossed her arms defiantly, puffing her chest out to make her seem tougher. Ford only sighed and look his head with an expression that looked something like pity. 

“Mabel honestly-” This time Mabel interrupted him. 

“No Dipper. Just forget it. Sorry for bothering you.” Mabel glared at him as she spoke but didn’t turn to leave. She didn’t know what she meant to happen next but she was sort of hoping that Dipper would stop her or something. Anything. It was just hard to believe he could just drop her like he was doing. There had to be something in him that told him to listen to her, to care. 

And there was. Dipper could feel the guilt growing in his chest as he realized what they had become. He knew there was something he had to do. The thoughts that told him to calm down and to do something were not ignored, but instead were talked over. Talked over by a strangely familiar voice that was whispering in his ear. Though the voice wasn’t so much as whispering in his ear as it was whispering in the back of his mind. Taunting him. telling him that she was in his way, holding him back from a great future. The voice told him that Mabel was just trying to distract him for her own selfish needs. It reminded him that before about a week ago, he lived his life to keep Mabel happy. And boy was that about to change. 

So instead of saying something like ‘No, Mabel I’m sorry.’ or ‘how about later we can hang out?’, he said;

“Fine. Go. You were always in my way.” Dipper hissed. Mabel took a step back like his words had physically hit her. Though that is what it felt like. She felt her stomach drop and her face pale. He had never said anything like that to her before. Sure he had been harsh before but nothing like this. Even Ford’s eyes widened a little at the words he spat at her. 

Mabel wasn’t sure what exactly she was supposed to do. She felt tears well behind her eyes, threatening to fall any second now. Hands shaking, she gripped the edges of her sweater like a little kid might be seen doing. The only thing she wanted to do at the moment was get out of there. So that's exactly what she did. She turned and ran upstairs and outside, slamming the door shut. She ran out into the forest, her vision blurred with tears. Choking down a sob, a tree root caused her to fall down on the forest floor. She tried getting back up but her arms were too shaky to hold up her body weight and honestly all she really wanted to do was lay there and cry. 

Taking deep breaths, she calmed down enough to stand but as soon as she did, there was a sharp pain in the back of her head and she felt her body fall to the ground as everything went black. 

Dipper wasn’t sure why he said what he said. He wasn’t thinking and the whispers inside his head were getting louder and louder the longer Mabel stayed down there. It almost seemed as though he didn’t say it at all. His mouth seemed to have a mind of its own. Shaking his head, he decided it was just his anger getting the best of him. He had no idea of where the real wipers came from. Egging him on. Trying to get him to snap. 

Bill walked leisurely into the forest, having obviously caused that whole scene. He planned that Mabel would go walking down into the basement and all Pine Tree needed was a little push in the wrong direction. Throwing his head back as he laughed, he walked into the direction he saw Mabel ran off to. Stopping where he had last seen her, he looked around. There was no sign of her anywhere but there was tracks that looked as though someone had been dragged across the floor. Bill rolled his eyes.

He didn’t care about the danger she got into on the way there, the only thing he was supposed to be doing as getting her to trust him. Though all he had to do was pull her into a hug and comfort her. It was too easy. He tried to push away the worry he felt as the seed of doubt was planted in his mind. 

What if she was hurt? What would he do then? It didn't matter, he tried to tell himself. One more Pines out of the way. No matter how much he thought it didn't matter, it didn’t stop him from scanning the forest floor in search of his missing little Pines.


	6. Chapter 6

Mabel woke up tied to something. Before she opened her eyes, she decided to assess her surroundings. Her hands here clearly bound and she was tied to something rough. Sniffing a little, she decided it was a tree she was tied to. She could feel the cold dirt of the forest floor and the rough bark of the tree against her back. She must have been hit in the head because she could feel something dripping down the side of her face. Finally she opened her eyes and looked around. It was nighttime now, the stars glittering above her as the trees swayed softly in the breeze. Normally a gentle forest breeze wouldn’t bother Mabel in the slightest, but she found there were many tears in her sweater. Looking down at herself she frowned as she found her favorite sweater was ruined. 

Mabel looked back up and around her to try and decide who hurt her and tied her up and where she was. She didn’t recognize this part of the woods. There were large mushrooms around her that were as big as chairs and there was no one in sight. Straining her ears, she tried to listen for something, anything that would give her any information at all. All Mabel heard was the sound of crickets chirping and owls hooting. 

She struggled against the ropes, grunting from the pain of the ropes digging into her wrists. Mabel know she had to get out of here. Getting home was the first priority right now. So there she sat, struggling for god knows how long. All she knew was the longer she struggled, the more her wrists hurt. At one point, she was sure she could feel blood dripping down her fingers. With the wind making her cold, she was starting to shiver as well, as if she didn't have enough to worry about at the moment. Whimpering, she started fighting harder than she was before, the ropes digging deeper into her already wounded wrists. 

“H-Help!!!” She cried out, hoping someone could hear her. “Somebody please!!” 

To her relief, she heard a familiar voice yell back, his tone laced with concern. 

 

Bill had been walking for hours before he heard her. He had never felt anything like the way he was feeling. Of course, the demon would never admit it to anyone but he was scared. The thought of his little Pines being hurt by the hands of another scared him. Not knowing whether Mabel was alive or dead made his hands shake and his cold heart skip a beat. Bill’s pace quickened at it started to get dark out. Anyone who knew Mabel knew that she was afraid of the forest at night. Sadly, Bill knew he was to blame for that. Terrorizing those twins only at night seemed to cause some problems. 

Bill flinched as a new emotion grew in the middle of his chest. The feeling was raw and painful and made him feel almost ashamed.   
“Guilt.” He muttered to himself. That had to be it. He was feeling guilty for potentially causing Mabel to be afraid right now. Not only was she alone, but she was scared. And it was all his fault. 

Bill broke into a run, more eager than ever to prove himself wrong. Mabel was probably just fine, wandering about the forest like an idiot. But he had to be sure. That's when he heard her screaming, telling out for help. The sound made his blood run cold as his eyes widened. 

“Shooting Star!!” He yelled back, jogging in the direction he heard her voice. Relief flooded his system when he saw her in one piece at least but was quickly replaced with anger once he saw her wounds. His normally calm gaze turned into one of intense fury as his eye turned red. Whoever did this to his Pines was going to die a slow and painful death. There was nothing in this world that would live to tell the tale of hurting Mabel Pines. 

Mabel flinched, leaning back, trying to get as far away from him as possible. Anyone who has ever seen Bill knew what would happen when his eye turns red. It meant that he was angry and no one should get in his way.

Seeing Mabel flinch back calmed Bill down in a flash. He didn’t to make her more afraid than she already was. It was already his fault she was in this situation. Pine Tree didn't say those things to her without some help. Kneeling down slowly, he got down so he was eye level with her and held her gaze. 

“I’m going to help you.” He assured with a gentle tone. It was a tone he had never used before and it bothered him how sincere he sounded. Bill has to keep reassuring himself that he didn’t actually care about her but it was getting harder and harder to do by the day. All he wanted to do was keep her in his sights at all times, to shield her from harm’s way. It got to the extent where he didn’t even want Dipper to hurt her anymore. Bill considered stopping his plan, and to stop ruining people's lives but of course, that would be ridiculous. 

Mabel nodded shakily, honestly believing he was here to help. She knew he couldn’t have put her in this situation since he seemed so mad about it in the first place. If he was the one who put her here though, she didn’t seem to care. At least he was getting her out. 

Gentle hands untied her from her bounds and she brought her wrists forward, rubbing them gently. The only thing she managed to do though was spread blood around her wrists. Taking her hands in his gently, Bill muttered a spell. Bandages appearing out of thin air wrapped around her wrists. Mabel watched wide eyed as the pain subsided.   
“There, better?” Bill asked softly. Mabel brought her eyes up to meet his and nodded slowly. She was still unable to believe that the demon kneeling in front of her was the same one who tried to kill her a month ago. There was nothing in his expression that hinted at anything unreliable. 

Taking her hands in his again, he gently pulled her to her feet. He then held onto her upper arms just to make sure she could stand on her own. Warily watching him, Mabel took a few steps back and dusted off her torn sweater. 

“Your sweater..” Bill muttered, looking her up and down. “Who did this to you?” His anger returned as he looked around, glaring.

“I don’t...I don’t know..” Mabel rubbed her arms from the cold. Talking off his yellow blazer, Bill draped it over her shoulders. 

“Remember, I’m trying to help you.” He gave her a patient, gentle smile. “We can be friends.” 

Mabel smiled at the thought of a new friend. Bill seemed to calm her down every time she was upset. He was very good at it too. Mabel could finally have someone who understood her. Who knew what she needed or wanted. Also she wasn’t opposed to the idea of making Dipper jealous over her new friend. Especially when her new friend is his worst enemy. 

She hugged Bill tightly, wrapping her small arms around his thin body. It didn’t matter to her if he didn’t like it, he deserved it.   
Bills breath hitched as the girl hugged him. No one had ever hugged him before so he wasn’t exactly sure what to do. Warmth spread through his chest and his body seemed to relax without him telling it to. As if it was a normal thing. After a few seconds, she still wouldn't let go, burying her face in his chest. He gently patted her shoulders and pried her off of him. 

“let’s get you home.” He smiled weakly. 

Surprisingly for him, he realized his smile was genuine. There was no glint of insanity behind his eye and his smile wasn’t too wide. It was a genuine, honest to god smile. Grabbing ahold of her hand, he walked towards the direction of the shack. He didn’t care if Mabel was uncomfortable holding his hand, he was too paranoid to let go of her. Bill felt that if he did, she would be taken from him again. That something would slip in and grab her when he wasn’t watching. He couldn’t have that. No one. Messes with his Shooting Star.


	7. Chapter 7

Mabel arrived at home at around three in the morning. The shack was dark, no lights on. There wasn’t even anything on in the basement which sort of surprised Mabel. Normally, the boys would be playing through the night. Shrugging, she decided that maybe they wanted to get to sleep earlier than normal for some reason. walking into the living, she found she was right. There lay Dipper, fast asleep on the couch. He had left the tv on and it was playing some old movie she was sure he had once watch with a Wendy. 

Frowning slightly, it set in that no one seemed to be worried. Everyone was asleep at the moment when she had expected someone would worry about her absence. Bill sighed softly to her left making her jump. She had nearly forgot he was even there, even forgetting about the yellow blazer draped around her shoulders. He spared her a quick glance before pulled her by her hand up to the attic. 

“Bill…?” She asked softly, too afraid to look up at him. It wasn’t that she was afraid of him anymore, it was more that she was afraid he wasn’t what he said he was. The fact that he might hurt her didn’t scare her, she just didn’t want to be wrong about him when she had been wrong about so many other things. 

Bill’s reply was a soft hum as he took his jacket gently off her shoulders. Searching Through her drawers, he could a sweater she normally wore to bed. He handed it to her and turned as she changed. Finally, he scooped her up and laid her in her bed. 

“Are you being honest with me? Are you really here to help me?” She whispered, her voice lowering so much that she could barely hear herself. The demon didn’t answer her but instead pulled the blankets up over her shoulders. 

He then turned out the light, but remembered to turn on her nightlight. Hoping she wouldn't notice he was still ignoring her question, he sighed. “Goodnight Shooting Star.” He turned to her, giving a soft smile.   
“No wait Bill-” Bill had disappeared before she could finish her sentence. Not only were there so many questions she wanted to ask, she also wasn’t tired at all. What she really wanted was Bill to stay with her. For some reason now that he left, she felt empty again. She felt like she did in the bathroom before Bill revealed himself to her. 

“Bill if you’re around will you please come back..?” She tried, hoping he could hear her. Sighing as she got no answer, she turned over and curled up on the bed. Though what she didn’t know was that Bill was indeed still there. 

He wouldn’t let her see him though. It wasn’t that he was trying to hurt her feelings or make her lonely. It was that he was scared. He was scared of the way he felt for her. It wasn’t part of the plan to actually care about the young girl. It wasn't in the plan to vow to murder anything that hurt her and actually mean it. The plan didn't mention that he would start to feel guilty for the things he used to have the most fun doing. It didn't say he would actually start to feel compassion. But there he stood, invisible in the middle of the room, watching her start to cry from the overwhelming feelings that were taking over. He watched as she took deep, strong breaths to calm herself down and wiped her eyes for the final time. He did not go to her like he should have, but instead just stood there, watching her every move. 

For the second time that day, he considered abandoning his earlier plans. It wouldn’t be the end of the world to just live like this. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. No, it wouldn’t be so bad. Staying wherever Mabel was, making her happy. Making sure she was safe. Sighing he shook his head. He was right in thinking that the girl would need him. Just watching her fall apart after he left was heartbreaking.   
He revealed himself to her and conjured up a chair to sit in so he could sit beside her bed. It helped him function when he just didn't think at all about what he was doing. Refusing to think about how he actually cared for this girl seemed to help him clear his thoughts of confusion. Though he knew that soon he was going to have to come to terms with what he felt. 

Bill's eyes landed on the bandages wrapped around her arms. Of course there was still the topic of what he was going to do about what happened. Though he wasn't sure if there was anything he could do about it. Mabel hadn't seen anyone and there was no one else out there. The thought of anyone getting away with hurting Mabel made his blood boil. There was absolutely no way he could just let this pass by. Standing, he gently brushed Mabel's hair out of her face as she slept. 

“Hah!!” Mabel quickly sat up, making him jump. “You were here! You did stay!” She got gradually louder with excitement. She was going to wake up the whole house. 

“Sh shhh Shooting Star, shh!” He held his hands up in a calming gesture, trying to get her to quiet down. The last thing he needed right now was that six fingered nuisance barreling in here.   
“You DO care!” She smiled, looking smug. Bill's eye brows furrowed together and he gave a strangled sigh. 

“Shooting Star, honestly, go to sleep. You've had enough excitement for one day.” He grumbled, gently pushing her back down on the bed. Bill sat back down too as well, running a hand through his blonde hair.   
“You'll stay with me here though right? While I sleep?” She asked. Bill hesitated and nodded. “You have to sing to me. I can't sleep unless you sing.” She grinned, not knowing if he actually would or not. There were plenty of times she had fallen asleep without anyone singing to her at all. Mabel thought of this as an experiment. How much would he be willing to do for her?

“Wha- no. Shooting Star that's enough. Sleep.” He spoke with a stern tone but made sure his expression was relaxed so she wouldn't think he was actually angry with her. He was a demon. An angry scary demon who hurts people. He draws the line at singing for a little girl. 

“Please? You can just hum if you want to!” She pleaded but there was nothing in this world that would cause him to do such a thing. Growling, he waved hand and Mabel suddenly felt too drowsy to keep her eyes open.

“You will..one day you will..you'll sing for me..” She shut her eyes and fell into a deep slumber. 

Sighing, Bill glared at his hands in his lap. Didn't that girl know this was hard for him as it is? For a moment he considered just killing her. It would make things so much more easier. He wouldn't have to worry about his feelings or protecting some dumb girl. But he could never do that. 

He pulled the blanket up over her shoulders and brushed her hair out of her face again, revealing her peaceful expression. No, he could never hurt his Shooting Star.


	8. Chapter 8

In the morning, the first thing Mabel did was sit up and look around for Bill. To her surprise, there he sat, on the chair beside her bed. He was in the same place he was when she fell asleep, doing exactly what she had asked him to. Mabel wasn’t sure why she had expected him to leave, she just didn't think that he would spend his time doing other things. It wasn’t like he didn’t have anything else to do. Did he? 

Mabel opened her mouth to tell the demon good morning but stopped short when she actually got a good look at his face. Eyes widening, she couldn’t believe what she saw. The man was fast asleep, his head tilted to the side. Bill’s arms were crossed over his chest and his expression was so calm. She had never seen anything like it. Any doubts she had about him melted away in an instant. If this demon was comfortable enough to be sleeping in her room, she supposed she could give him a chance. 

Quietly, Mabel got up and grabbed her phone. Raising the phone, she took a quick picture of the sleeping demon for future reference. The young girls awe was stopped short by the sound of footsteps walking up the stairs to the attic. Mabel’s breath hitched and she shook Bill feverishly.

“Bill wake up, you need to go right now! Someones coming!” She panicked. To her dismay, the demon stayed limp in the chair, letting out a soft snore. Thinking quick on her feet, she flew to the door and locked it just as someone was trying to turn the knob.

“I-I’m changing!!” Mabel improvised, trying to buy her more time to figure out something to do. She was met with though frustrated groan of her twin brother behind the door. Surprisingly, the thought of him being annoyed with her didn’t seem to phase her. Maybe she had finally gotten better. A grin spread across Mabel’s expression as she realized that maybe she wouldn’t need to worry over her brother anymore.  
The young girl’s thoughts were interrupted by angry pounding on the door. “Mabel hurry up! Seriously! It doesn’t take this long to change!” Dipper sounded irritated but Mabel was happy to say she didn’t care. Looking around the room, she tried to think of what to do. 

Her eyes landed on the closet door as an idea popped into her head. “Hang on!” Mabel ran to the closet door and threw it open. Yes, this would be enough space. Running back over to where Bill was sitting, she threw all her weight on the back of the chair. To her delight, the chair moved across the floor with a loud screech. She continued pushing at the chair until it and the demon sitting on it, was in the closet. Finally, she closed the closet door and opened the bedroom door. 

Dipper stormed in, obviously frustrated the time she was taking up. There was no reason why she had to spend ten minutes getting dressed when her sweaters were all ugly anyways. He snatched up his clothes he had set out and rolled his eyes when he realized Mabel was watching him.

“What is it Mabel, what do you want.” He crossed his arms, turning to look at her. The more he looked at her the more felt bad for what he was doing. His sister hadn’t done anything wrong yet. Sighing, he dropped his arms and hugged her. 

“I’m sorry okay? I’m just stressed.” He muttered, hugging her close. The gesture stunned Mabel. One minute he acted like he hated her and the next he was hugging her and apologizing. Needless to say, it wasn’t anything Mabel was used to. 

“Stressed over what..?” Mabel asked, hugging him back gently. As far as she could remember, he hadn’t told her anything he could have been stressed about. But then again, there was a lot of things he had been keeping from her lately. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been hiding thing from him either. Currently she was hiding a demon in her closet and Dipper had no idea. 

“I...I can’t tell you Mabel..” Her brother sighed, letting her go. “Look, I’m sorry I haven’t been hanging out with you. Ford and I are working on something big.” 

Mabel smiled a little. “It’s okay.” Now, when she said it, she meant it. It was okay. She would be fine. Nothing would harm her due to her new friend. 

Bill had never woken up sitting in a chair in a small, dark room before. Looking around, he stretched, his bones popping from staying in one position for too long. The room certainly was small. Scrunching his nose up, he tried to remember how he got there but the last thing he remembered was watching over Mabel while she slept. How dare she shove him in a closet after everything he’s done for her. Gritting his teeth, he stood and burst out of the closet just as the bedroom door had shut. 

There stood Mabel, in the middle of the room. Bill glared angrily at her, letting out a low growl. 

“Oh calm down you, I had to put you in there! Dipper was coming and you wouldn’t wake up!” She insisted, making her bed. Bill’s anger subsided almost instantly, leaving him slightly irritated. It was degrading to be shoved in a closet, hid from the world. Pine Tree should find out, he deserves it. Knowing his sibling was caught in the clutches of an all powerful demon. A demon who had grown to care for this girl and would never harm her, but a demon nonetheless.

As his eyes fell upon his young friend, he let out a strangled gasp. It had finally set in that he was putting aside ruling the world to care for a Pines. His lifelong dream, thrown aside just because of some litle girl.  
“Everything okay..?” Mabel asked softly, noticing his wide eyes and pale expression. She took a step towards him and he stayed standing, staring at nothing in particular. 

“Bill!” She tried pushing him a little but he wouldn’t budge. He wasn’t doing anything at all, it was like he was frozen. She yelled pleas at him, trying to get him to snap out of his trance. Though nothing she did seemed to be working. Mabel had even stood on a stool and hit him but even that didn’t phase him in the slightest.

Deciding that hitting him or yelling at him wouldn’t work, she decided she would have to wait it out. Sitting on the bed, she didn’t expect that it would take as long as it did. An hour passed and he still hadn’t moved. The stunned expression was stuck on his face and he stared at the wall as if it were telling him how to cure cancer. Figuring she would go and do something else for a while to help the time go by, she wrote a note saying “I’m going on a walk in the woods” and stuck it in his pocket. Walking down the stairs, she pulled on her shoes. Hopefully when she got back, her friend would be back to normal.


	9. Chapter 9

Bill wasn’t sure how long he had been standing there. The only thing he knew what that it was light out when his mind traveled elsewhere but now it was dark out. Where his little Pines was, he didn’t know. Shaking his head, he let out a shaky breath. It wasn’t every day he debated with himself like that. He had just stood there deciding whether he should just kill her or if he should let her get in the way of his dreams. 

All he had wanted to do was turn her against her brother but what he managed to do was make a friend. Growling, he shook his head again. Demons weren’t supposed to have friends, let alone best friends. The little Pines walked in and smiled brightly, seeing he had snapped out of his trance. Mabel was carrying bags full of black and yellow yarn. 

“Hi Bill! Are you okay? What happened?” The girl continued showering him with questions, making him sigh in exasperation. Grabbing her angrily by her wrist, he held her up in front of him, her feet no longer touching the ground. 

Mabel whined in pain and started clawing at the hand clutching her wrist. The pressure on it increased and it felt as though and minute now her frail wrist would snap. Glaring, he looked her over, trying to figure out what it was about this girl that was distracting him from doing what he wanted. There was nothing in this world that would get in the way of his plans. 

“What is it huh. Magic?” He spat at her, making her flinch. Despite the fact that Mabel knew he wasn’t going to let go, she still tried to get him to let go and relieve the stress on her shoulder. Watching her squirm was making his stomach flip and his heart ached but he wasn’t going to let her sorcery get the best of him.

“Is WHAT magic!” She cried, really starting to feel the pain in her shoulder. Mabel wasn’t sure why Bill thought she was using magic. There also wasn’t really a reason for him to be so mad as far as she was concerned. Thinking back, she couldn’t remember doing anything wrong to be suspected of magic and trickery. First he had been angry with her for putting him in the closet, then he had spaced out for hours. Was he maybe still angry that she had put him in the closet?

“Why do I care so much!” He growled, baring his teeth like an angry dog about to rip apart its prey. Luckily, Mabel had seen worse things so she wasn’t was afraid as she probably should have been in this situation.   
“About what!!” She snapped, starting to get irritated with him. 

“You.” He glared, giving her a little shake, making her whine. She fought harder against him now, kicking her legs and clawing at his hand at the same time. Why she was fighting so hard, Bill didn’t know. It wasn’t that bad, all he was doing was holding her above the ground by her wrist. 

“I didn’t DO anything to you! Now just let me go!” She pleaded, getting desperate but Bill only glared. Didn’t she know that the more she struggled the more it was going to hurt for her? If she would just stay still, her arm wouldn’t be under so much strain. A small voice in the back of his mind told him that she wouldn’t be in any pain at all if he would just let her go.

Pushing the thought away, he gave her another shake. “I want to destroy the human race not make nice with some dumb little girl! Especially not a Pines!!” Bill snarled, finally dropping her. 

With a harsh thud, she hit the floor, her head swinging back and smashing against the wooden flooring. Mabel’s head spun as she clutched her head, biting back a sob. What had she done to get this kind of reaction out of him? And what was he talking about when he said he didn’t want to be friends with her? She thought that’s exactly what he wanted to do this whole time.

Huffing, she got back up on her feet, ready to give him a piece of her mind. Well, she was going to. The look of frustration on his expression is what changed her mind. Softening her hardening glare, she sighed exasperatedly. 

“You’re human now. So I understand how things can seem frustrating.” She spoke calmly, relaxing her expression. 

“In no human!! I’m an all powerful demo-” Bill started to protest. How dare she call him a human. 

“In a human’s body.” She reminded him, shutting him up instantly. She knew he wasn’t used to having an actual heart. He wasn’t used to sympathy, empathy, love, care or guilt yet and she understood that. It was normal for him to think she was bewitching him or something. 

Bill’s eyes widened as he realized that she was right. Looking down at his hands, something spread through his chest that made him feel heavy. Another emotion he had never felt before. He felt ashamed of himself. Ashamed that he had hurt this poor girl who was only trying to help him. Seeing the dark, angry bruises start to form on her wrist didn’t help either. Of course this little girl wasn’t using magic, what was he thinking. 

“I…” Bill was at a loss for words. How could this girl understand him so well? If it wasn’t trickery then what was it? Shaking his head, he kneeled down and pulled her into a hug. That was the only thing he could think of to do right now. He had just hurt her, shaked her and accused her of bewitching him and she was still so compassionate towards him. 

“It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything.” Mabel muttered but cheered up when she remember what she had bought from the store. Pushing him back in a fit of excitement, she smiled. “Guess what I got at the store today!” She giggled.

Smiling softly at her sudden mood swing, he stood back up straight. “What?” He asked. 

Mabel grabbed the bags and dumped out the black and yellow yarn. She looked up at him excitedly, expecting an ecstatic reaction but was only met with a confused frown.   
“Its...very nice yarn…?” He tried, hoping that was enough. Unfortunately for him, Mabel was expecting much more. 

“Yeees and what does yarn make?” She asked, hoping he would catch on. 

“Sweaters?” Bill wasn’t sure where she was trying to go with this.

“Yep! Im making you your very own sweater!” She smiled excitedly. 

Bill chuckled, “Thank you Shooting Star.”

Mabel nodded and got to work, measuring his arms and his waist and his height. She then sat down and started kitting. Bill sat on her bed and watched her calmly. She didn’t mind the fact that he barely ever blinked and that he was so unnaturally still. Despite all his flaws, she was still going to trust him. Though whether that was a mistake or now, she was sure she was going to find out eventually.


	10. Chapter 10

Bill didn’t have a tantrum like he had before in a long time, pleasing Mabel immensely. She was afraid he would snap again and hurt her like before but she feared the next time, he wouldn't be so forgiving. So she waited with caution for him to show signs of irritation of anger but there was none. It seemed as though he had completely gotten over whatever he had been feeling before and the caring, protective Bill had taken over. 

As the days went by, Bill followed her everywhere. Mabel could feel him around at times, only showing up as flashes of yellow in the corner of her eye but when she would turn, there was no one. He only did this when there was others around though, when they were alone they talked. Well more, she talked. It was sort of a one sided conversation. The Demon would sit there and listen to her chatter away about anything and everything, putting in a word or two to let her know that he was listening. 

It pleased Mabel that he would laugh whenever she would tell a joke or he would gasp at every twist in her made up stories she told. No one had ever done that for her, they would either tell her she talked too much or they would ignore her. Dipper listened on occasion but that was just every now and then. Not Bill though, no. Bill laughed and listened and gasped every single time. 

After they talked, she would get to work on his sweater too concentrated to talk while she was doing it. Bill didn’t seem to mind as he sat and watched her. One day, she had asked him if he wanted to learn because she didn’t know why he watched so intensely. Despite her offer, he had declined and continued watching her night after night. She would ask again and again but he would always patiently decline, saying he had no use for the information. 

One night, as Mabel was heading to bed, Bill looked bothered. His eyebrows were scrunched together and his lips were tilted to a frown.

“What’s the matter Bill?” Mabel asked softly, knowing Dipper could possibly be around. She didn’t want to have to narrowly avoid him finding out about Bill for the millionth time. 

“If you had to choose between me and Pine Tree, who would you pick?” He asked with a blunt tone. Mabel hesitated. What does someone say to that? How could he expect her to pick between her best friend and her twin brother? Granted, Dipper had been ignoring her quite a lot lately but it didn’t bother her anymore. 

“Bill I...that’s a complicated question.” She sighed, messing with the edge of her blanket. Bill nodded, surprising her. Apparently he noticed the look of surprise on her face because he looked away.   
“I know it’s hard. It just might have to come down to your choice one day. I was just curious.” He reassured her, making sure she knew he wasn’t mad or frustrated. 

Though it did little to comfort her. The question Bill had asked reminded her of when she was stuck picking between her Grunkle and her twin. It was one of the hardest decisions she has had to make in her life. Mabel opened her mouth to say something to him but was interrupted by Dipper bursting into the room. She watched him run in and immediately she turned to where Bill was and he was gone. 

“What are you doing Mabes?” He asked, smiling slightly. Mabel could only stutter in return as she realized how this might have looked. Here she was, sitting on the bed turned towards thin air and about to start talking to thin air. She shrugged, forcing out a giggle. 

“Okaaay well anyways! Guess what!” His voice was laced with excitement as his smile grew.

“What…” Mabel tried to ignore the faint glowing yellow eyes outside of the window. 

“Ford and I found a way to keep Bill out of the house! All we need is…” Dipper started listing off ingredients and items she’s never heard of. 

It didn’t matter though if she had or hadn’t heard of what he was saying. She was too nervous to focus on anything right now. The thought of Bill not being able to come into the shack made her nauseous and dizzy. Bill was the only reason she could sleep peacefully at night, how was she supposed to live without him?

“...And we already have everything we need! Ford is setting everything up right now!” Her brother finished, his eyes bright with excitement. Mabel nearly threw up at that, feeling the color drain from her cheeks. Shoving her shaky hands in her pocket, she cleared her through to hopefully even out her voice. 

“Wh-When um… is it going to be finished?” She asked, trying to seem casual. An angry, familiar voice growled in her ear and she did her best to ignore that too. 

“Tonight! Isn’t that great! He said it would take about two hours to get it done!” He laughed happily though his sister was far from happy. Keeping one’s face black in a situation like this was harder than Mabel thought it might be. She could tell Bill was there and listening by the growling and panicked noises only she could hear. Obviously he wasn’t feeling any better about this than she was, maybe even worse than her.   
“Yup..great..” Mabel bit her lip. “Why don’t you go help him..?” She suggested, trying to get him to go away so she could have some alone time with her friend. While it was true she could just leave the house and see Bill, recently Ford had made a new rule. No one was allowed to leave the house alone. So even if she was to leave the house for the purpose of seeing Bill, she would only be able to see him from afar. Only catching quick glimpses of him and only hearing occasional whispers in her ear. 

“You’re right!! Then maybe it will get done faster that way!! See ya later sis!” He ran out and Mabel nearly cried. She hadn’t thought about the fact that if he were to help, it would cut down the time she had left with Bill. 

“Bill..” She whimpered as he appeared in the middle of the room. He knelt down and held out his arms and she threw herself into them, hugging him as tight as she could.   
While Mabel was hugging him, Bill’s thoughts were racing. He was trying to figure out what he could do about this. Not being able to go into the Shack was a problem for him. How was he supposed to watch his little Pines if he could barely go near her? Then, suddenly, a nasty thought crept into his brain. 

“Mabel, hey, Shooting Star listen.” He held her at arm's length away by her shoulders then wiped her tears away with one hand.  
“You need to do something for me. Okay? Are you listening? This is very important.” His voice was deadly calm. Mabel made eye contact with him and he held her gaze. 

“I need you to get this thing for me. It will fix all this.” He pet her hair gently. She nodded, letting him know she was listening. 

“It looks like a snow globe okay? But instead of snow inside, there’s space. Get that for me, my bright Shooting Star, and nothing will keep me from watching over you.” He hugged her close again, hoping she would trust him and get it.

“Please just trust me..” Bill pleaded in a soft whisper.

Mabel hesitated. “Okay… I’ll get it for you Bill..I trust you..”


	11. Chapter 11

Bill didn't feel all that bad. Though he knew he probably should. It wasn't like it was lying, technically he was telling half of the truth. It wasn't his fault if he told Mabel about the fact that he would be ruling the world she would never want to see him again. What else was he supposed to do. He had grown to care for this young girl, he didn't know what he would to if she refused to talk to him. 

So he decided he would let her do her thing. The unicorn hairs around the Shack kept him from talking to her or seeing if she actually did do what he asked her to do. This distance from her was making him very uneasy. For one, he didn't know if Pine Tree or Sixer would convince her not to do what he needed. Maybe they would tell her that he was trying to trick her or that he was going to kill her. The possibility of them telling her that didn't scare Bill. What scared Bill was the possibility of her believing what they told her. He dressed the thought of her waltzing out and pretending like he was nothing to her. He needed her to know that he cared. 

Yes, once he got what he needed, he would keep her close, never letting her out of his sight. It didn't matter where he was or where he was going, she would always be safe. Plus, with power over the whole world, he would let Mabel have as many Pigs as she wanted. Hell, she could own all the pigs in the world if she wanted to! Grinning, Bill could think of no way in which this was a bad idea. All he needed to do now was wait on his Shooting Star. His bright and shining shooting star. 

Mabel hadn't been doing so well lately. The fact that Bill wasn't anywhere to be seen wasn't helping her nerves at all. Ever since Ford and Dipper had put up the barrier, she hadn't been able to leave the house. That meant, even if she wanted to see Bill, she couldn't. And she felt completely and utterly alone again. Like she did before Bill came. 

Unfortunately, this had caused her to basically cave in on herself. She wasn't eating, she was barely sleeping, and her family didn't seem to notice. They also didn't seem to notice a pair of scissors from the counter that had suddenly gone missing. But Mabel didn't want to talk about that. 

She felt like she was losing her sanity going this long without seeing him. No matter how much she tried, she could barely focus on anything and she was always looking over her shoulder. It was as if without Bill around, the rest of the monsters in the world would close in on her. She had finished his sweater a day ago. Or was it two days? Maybe three? She couldn't seem to remember anymore. 

What she did remember though was her Grunkle Stan coming up to see if she was alright. She doesn't remember what he had been saying or how long ago he came, but she did remember he was worried. Mabel faintly remembered the mention of some hospital but she didn't want to go. She didn't need a hospital or a therapist or some pills. What she did need was her friend. 

The only thing she could think about was what Bill had told her. What could fix all this. Mabel was willing to try anything to feel better. If this space snow globe could help her see Bill again, she would go to the ends of the earth to get it. The only problem was where it was. She had looked high and low for the stupid thing and wasn't able to find any space snow globe. The closest thing she had found to it was an old space sweater she made a long while back. 

Then, the idea popped into her mind. If Dipper and Ford had what could keep Bill away, maybe they had what would let him back in. It was a brilliant plan, and it would explain why she hadn't found the thing yet. She hadn't looked in the basement. 

Though how she was going to get down to the basement without Ford and Dipper noticing, she didn't know. They were always down there. Always. She would have to find some way to distract them, to get them out of there. But first she would need to look around. 

Getting up out of her bed, where she had been laying for the past day, she shuffled downstairs almost zombie like. Glancing outside, she saw it was about midday, the sun shining overhead. When had it become day, she wondered. She typed in the code to the vending machine and weakly pulled the door open. When had she lost all of her strength? 

The first thing she heard was Dipper and Ford talking feverishly as she made her way down the stairs. Then, the talking stopped as she took the final step down the last stair and they both turned to look at her.   
“Mabel..! Hi..! You look sick, why don't you go lay down.” Dipper said, looking at Ford nervously. It was like walking in on your friends talking about you. An awkward feeling filled the air but it didn't bother Mabel. All she was looking for was that space snow globe. 

“I don’t want to. I’ve been laying down for a long time.” She couldn’t exactly tell him how long she had been laying down. All she knew was that it was quite a long time. 

“Okay...well...” Dipper mumbled, not really knowing what to say. The look she was giving him made him nervous. Her eyes were narrowed into an unfocused glare as she searched around the room for something without actually moving from where she stood. It was like she meant to be moving around but completely forgot. Dark circles darkened the area around her eyes as if she hadn't slept in days, which confused Dipper. If she had been lying down for so long, why wasn’t she sleeping? What was she doing?

“Mabel, ever since we put up those unicorn hairs, you’ve been quite distant. Why is that?” Ford asked, catching something that Dipper hadn’t. Dipper hadn’t realized she was acting funny since they put up the Bill barrier. 

“Yeah so…” Mabel muttered, her unfocused glare settling on Ford. Dipper couldn’t tell if ford was as uncomfortable as he was. It didn’t look like it but who knows what could be going on inside that head of his.

“So, I’m wondering if it has anything to do with the barrier we put up?” Ford accused, crossing his arms. Dipper wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say, if he was supposed to say anything at all. It was like he had been kicked from the situation entirely. But whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, he wasn’t sure. 

“No. What are you doing down here anyways?” Mabel tried changing the subject. The last thing she wanted right now was someone finding out about Bill. Hopefully it would also get one of them to tell her something, anything about the space snow globe she needed to badly. Ford stared down at her, not liking that question she guessed. She watched his jaw lock as his teeth clenched. 

“We can’t tell you.” Dipper took a step between her and Ford, in hopes of breaking up the intense glaring happening between them. Things were just getting way too tense in this room and he didn’t like it.   
His interference had worked as Mabel looked back down to the ground, looking deep in thought. She was thinking of a way to get back to Bill. There had to be a way. At this point, she wasn’t focusing enough. Her lack of sleep and food had caused her to feel lost in everything she did. She needed to know what to do, where to go. She needed Bill’s comfort. 

“Can I go on a walk Grunkle Ford..? I need to… I’ve been cooped up for too long…” She pulled her puppy dog face on him. Hopefully that would at least get him to hesitate before telling her no. 

“Well...I suppose..” Ford sighed, reluctant on telling her yes. Though the look she gave him made it worth it. Mabel went from looking dead to bringing the life back to her face. 

“Thank you so much!!” She ran upstairs and out of the shack, slamming the door shut behind her. The young girl’s heart was racing with excitement. This was the most she had felt in god knows how long. Trees blurred past her as she ran, tripping over large tree roots. She fell and scraped her knee and her hands but it was worth it when familiar hands helped her back up.


	12. Chapter 12

“Shooting Star!” His voice sounded breathless and surprised. Mabel looked up at him, tearing up with happiness as she threw her arms around him. With a grunt, he fell back, returning her hug. The Demon couldn’t help but let out a chuckle as the girl buried her face in his chest. It felt like years since he had seen her smiling face. And that was all her face was doing right now. Gently, he sat back up, crossing his legs, but he didn’t let go of the young girl. Instead, he set her in his lap and continued hugging her. 

“Oh I missed you. I missed you I missed you I missed you.” She continues mumbling like that for the next few minutes, and he let her. Normally, he would calm her and tell her to stop. Though now, as he tightened his grip around her, he found that he wasn’t able to let her go. Nothing in this world could pull her away from him. 

“Yeah I uh..I missed you too Shooting Star..” He mumbled, taking in her scent. As always, she smelled of strawberries and..and...blood? That wasn’t normal. 

He ran his hands down her shoulders and over her arms, looking for signs of injury. She winced when he ran his hands over her forearms. Pulling up one of her sweater sleeves, his jaw set and his teeth clenched.   
There on her arms, were several red, thin slices through her arms. Of course, he knew she had done this to herself. Bill swore softly and under his breath as he checked the other on, finding the same thing. Mabel couldn’t find it in herself to look up at him so she stared at a plant not too far from where they were sitting. She noted that the plant looked like it might big a big tall tree someday but couldn’t get enough sunlight. The leaves reached upwards hoping to get a slight glint of sunlight through the large trees towering over it. 

Bill gave her a slight shake to make her look up at him. “What is wrong with you?!” He hissed, trying to stay gentle with her. He knew that there was a point where she had wanted to do this to herself but he had stopped her. Bill hadn’t thought about the fact that she might do it again if he wasn’t there to stop her. It was like if you told a child no one time, they are going to do it again. It takes a few times for them to understand that it was wrong. 

“I didn’t..I just…” Her throat burned and her breath hitched as she felt hot tears well up in her eyes, threatening to fall. What was she to say to someone who was this angry with her over something she couldn’t help but doing? It made her feel better, she couldn’t help herself. 

“No no no shh..it's okay little one..” Bill pulled her closer again after seeing her eyes fill with tears. There was nothing to gain by being mad at her. Nothing was going to get better if it was handled with anger. He was sure he could fix his with love and care. 

“I-I can’t find the thingy...I can’t…” Mabel cried in his chest, feeling ashamed of herself. How foolish she was to think that this visit would be all smiles and happiness. She had come to him with cuts on her arms and no good news. Yet here he was, still comforting her, despite her failures. 

“It’s okay...it’s okay… just...just shh..” He ran his fingers through her hair with one hand, hoping to calm her. To be honest, he had completely forgotten about the rift when he saw her running into the forest. The only thing he wanted to do was make sure she was okay. 

Mabel looked up at her friend, completely surprised. She had thought that he would be even more angry with her but it seemed like all of his anger had melted away. This was completely alien to her as her entire family was notorious for being stubborn and difficult at the most inconvenient times. It struck her then how blessed she was to have a friend like him. Everything she had thought about him before had been wrong. It seems that demons can have hearts and they do have feelings. Bill’s non eyepatched eye scanned her body thoroughly, looking for other signs of injury. He poked at her arms and her legs, her shoulders, looking even at every one of her fingers. Mabel let him calmly, knowing that he wouldn't stop even if she wanted him to. 

“I um...I brought you something.” Bill spoke softly, looking at her with his intense gaze. Before, his gave used to make Mabel very uncomfortable. But now, she was very used to it. She even missed it.   
Bill reached in his pocket and pulled out a ring and set it gently in her hand. Mabel looked at it closely. The ring was a simple golden band with a triangle etched in the inside of the ring. She looked up at him, not exactly sure how he meant for her to wear it. Gently, oh so gently, he took the ring from her and slid it onto her ring finger on her left hand. 

“So…” Bill’s eyebrows knitted together like he was searching for the right words to say to her. “If you ever feel upset...for any reason...just look at that and um..don’t.” He finished, looking at her with a firm expression. 

A wide grin broke out of the young girl’s face and she giggled happily, making Bill smile slightly. She hugged him tightly, pushing him on his back, now lying on the forest floor again. He held her and buried his face in her hair, wanting to savor this moment for eternity. 

They stayed there on the ground all day and into the night. Bill told her stories from his past, gently playing with her hair in the process. Some of them, Mabel was pretty sure he made up. The faraway look in his eyes made her think otherwise. When it started to get dark, Bill told her about the stars and pointed out some of the constellations she didn’t know. As if they knew what the other was thinking, they both avoided pointing out the big dipper though they both saw it. Tonight was not the night to be worrying about pointless things. Not once did Bill mention the rift because he just didn’t care at the moment. Why ruin such a great day with something that was obviously causing Mabel so much anxiety? 

Finally, when Mabel started to get tired, Bill stood up and led her back to the Shack, but as Mabel kept walking forward, Bill had to stay within the treeline. Realizing her friend had to stay back, she turned and started tearing up again. She didn't want to leave him again. 

Bill knelt down so he was about her height but stayed away from where she was standing. He gently tapped his ring finger, making Mabel looked down at her ring. Seeing it, and remembering what it was for, she gave him a weak smile. Bill gestured to the Shack and she hesitated before walking away from him and inside. Despite the fact that she had to leave him again, she considered this night one of the best she’s had since they were separated.


	13. 13

Throughout the week, Mabel had gained back her happiness. In the morning, she would happily eat breakfast, waiting for Dipper and Ford to return to the basement. They would exchange happy conversations and then the boys would descend for the rest of the day. Around three pm, Stanley would drift off to sleep for a nap. Mabel used that opportunity to slip outside and talk with Bill. They stood just within the cover of the trees so no one could see them talking. Sometimes Bill would sit with her in a tree and sometimes they would sit on the floor. They were always careful not to stay out too long and cause Ford or Dipper to become suspicious. During these visits, she would ask him what she should do and where she could find the rift and how to get it. 

He told her that the two of them have to sleep sometime and to just look around when they did fall asleep. Though doing that wasn’t too easy, Mabel discovered.   
Everything she would try, she would accidentally make a noise and Ford would jump awake. It didn’t matter what that sound was, Ford would always wake up. She would have to be completely silent to get past him and she never was. One night, she had scuffed her foot across the floor and he jumped awake, staring around with wild eyes. The smallest little things woke him up. 

So, tonight, Mabel put on three pairs of her fuzziest socks to muffle her footsteps. Tiptoeing down the stairs, she peeked around the corner to the couch where Ford sleeps. There on the couch, Ford slept, tossing and turning around the couch, looking like he would wake up any second. Silently, she made her way across the room and to the vending machine. Mabel felt a smile creep up on her face. She had never managed to make it this long. 

Carefully, she lightly tapped the correct buttons and the door opened with a creak, making Mabel wince. Luckily, Ford snored on with only a grunt in response. Exhaling, Mabel crept down into the basement. The silence down there was killing her as she felt like she was going to get caught any moment. She wasn’t sure what she would do if she was caught. 

Taking the final step, she looked around and there, sitting on a metal table was something that looked very much like a space globe. Mabel’s eyes widened and she gently picked it up. The thing was heavier than she thought it would be and it was very pretty. She decided that she wouldn’t be able to hide it because it was too hard to hide. She would have to take it to Bill now or risk getting caught. Surely once Ford and Dipper noticed it was gone they would go looking for it. 

Quickly, she went back upstairs and shut the door with a loud thump. She turned to see Ford staring at her, having just woke up. Her stomach dropped like a stone and her eyes widened. 

“What are you doing? What's that you have there?” Ford asked her in a groggy voice. Mabel’s legs twitched, telling her to run. She still had a few seconds of time for Ford to find his glasses and put them on but he was already reaching for them. With that, she ran out, hearing a yell from Ford. She guessed he had seen what she had. She also heard something barreling down the stairs which she assumes was Dipper reacting to Ford’s yell. 

She slammed the front door behind her and ran towards the trees where she could see Bill standing. A small smile spread across his face when he saw her running towards him but that smile quickly fell when he saw the look on her face. His little Pines looked panicked and scared. He soon found out why when Ford and Dipper burst through the front door. 

“Mabel!! Stop!!” Dipper yelled, causing his twin to stop. She was now halfway between Dipper and Bill and everything seemed to freeze. Dipper took a small step towards her and Mabel took a step away from him, and towards Bill. Her doing this made Dipper stop, figuring that she would just be driven away if he were to continue advancing towards her. 

Seeing the man on the other side of Mabel made him freeze. There was no mistaking that yellow brick pattern and that hat. Not to mention he had an eyepatch covering one eye. Dipper heard Ford’s breath hitch as he also realized who the man was. Dipper had to admit, the human form nearly fooled him. He didn’t even want to know how Bill managed this one. 

Finally, it set in what exactly was happening. His twin sister was stuck in between him and Ford, and Bill. Dipper wasn’t sure why she wasn’t just coming back to him. Her family. Yes, it was true that he had kind of distanced himself from her but surely she understood. Right? Nothing should cause her to trust this demon more than her family. Unless he was tricking her. Ford’s fists clenched as he came to the same conclusion. 

Mabel, however, was having lots of trouble deciding what to do. She hated making decisions like this. She had to pick between her best friend, someone she trusts, but has done some horrible things, and her family. The thought of choosing made her hands shake and her breathing picked up. She looked back and forth between Bill’s calm expression and Dipper’s enraged one. What was she supposed to do? 

A/N: Hey guys >:). I wanna try something. What do YOU think she should do? Let me know in the comments.


	14. Chapter 14

Mabel swallowed thickly, her stomach twisting violently. She had never been good with things like this, she always felt like she made the wrong decision. Her brain told her to hand the rift over to Dipper before anything bad happened, After all, he was her twin brother and he couldn’t be that bad. He was just distracted. Her heart, however, was telling her to give the rift to Bill. Bill made her happy and he made her feel like she mattered. He didn’t just cast her aside as unimportant, he actually cared about her. Mabel trusted Bill, a lot. A sick, guilty sort of feeling mixed with the anxiety in her stomach as she started to think that maybe she trusted Bill more than her own family. 

Was that bad though? She wondered. Should she feel guilty because she didn’t trust her family? Dipper and Ford hadn’t been talking to her at all and Stan is too bitter about Ford to function like he used to. So is it really her fault that she didn’t trust them or was it theirs? Mabel had the sudden urge to pull her sweater over her head and retreat to sweater town but the thought gave her a better idea.

Carefully, she set the rift down at her feet with shaking hands and took a deep, calming breath to help sooth her nerves. Gingerly, she pulled her sweater off revealing her light blue tank top. the wind blew at her arms and shoulders, making her shiver as she turned towards Dipper and Ford with determination. Both of them had their eyes fixed on the rift, longing and unease shown easily on their faces. 

“Look at me.” She spoke clearly and firmly, catching their attention as her held out her arms. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Bill turn away, averting his attention to a nearby squirrel.

Dippers face paled as he gazed at the red lines littered across Mabel’s arms. Mabel held her head high, refusing to break down in front of him. 

“Mabel...what...why…?” Dipper couldn’t seem to find the words to say. His sister had been hurting herself like this and he didn’t even know. To his left, he saw Ford’s shoulders drop but when he looked up at his Great Uncle, he was looking off to the side. The expression on his face was unreadable but Dipper hoped Ford felt as bad as he did, because the guilt he was feeling was unbearable. 

“This is what happens when your family turns their back to you and you have nowhere else to go.” Mabel’s voice cracked slightly but she stayed firm. Taking another deep breath, she put her sweater back on and turned when she heard Bill’s soft voice.

“Shooting Star...I can help you..you wouldn’t ever have to leave my side..just give me..that rift..” Bill kneeled down and reached out for her but didn’t step towards her. Mabel picked up the globe with every intention of giving to to him. She locked eyes with him and had every intention to give him the rift. As the sun began to rise, filling the area with light, she knew what the right thing to do was. That was giving it to Bill. she started to take a few steps towards him when Ford spoke.

“Mabel, you can’t give that to him. It will give him the power to take over the entire world! Everything you love will be gone!” He pleaded with her, trying to make her see reason. Bill was crazy, tricky and he knew he was tricking Mabel into trusting him. 

“Everything I love is already gone.” With a glare, she walked towards Bill’s open arms, ignoring the argues and the sounds of protest from Dipper and Ford. Instead of hugging Bill like she wanted to, she simply handed him the rift. Bill’s eyes widened as he stared at it. Standing back up from his kneel, his smile grew more than it should have, making him look inhuman. Mabel felt a bit uneasy until he set the rift aside and scooped her up in a tight, loving hug. 

“You’re a lifesaver Shooting Star!!” He laughed, sounding insane causing the hate grew on Dipper’s face. 

Bill had tricked his sister, that much he knew. Dipper could feel the hate filling in his chest as he watched Bill pick her up. Quickly, he grabbed a stick and charged towards him. At the time, it seemed like a good idea to attack Bill with a stick. Though when Bill set Mabel down and turned towards him with that twisted smile, he then realized it wasn’t such a great idea.

Dipper’s defiant charge towards Bill faltered and he slowed down to a stop. He was now standing right next to Mabel, closer to Bill than he would ever want to be. Behind them, Ford stood, seemingly frozen where he stood. Ford couldn’t will his body to move, his mind still on those cuts on Mabel’s arms. 

Bill turned slowly and calmly, and picked the rift back up, staring at it possessively. The man looked up and stared at Dipper, his smiling growing by the second. Raising his arm, he raised the rift above him and launched it towards the ground, smashing it into many tiny pieces, causing the rift to break free. Way up above the trees, the sky seemed to split, creating a massive rift into a different dimension. Unimaginable creatures and horrors started spilling out of the rift and into gravity falls as the wind changed.

Mabel’s hair whipped around her and she took Bill’s hand, trying to calm her unease. Something didn’t feel quite right. Maybe it was something in that twisted smile of Bill’s or maybe it was the way his eyes looked so unfocused. Those monsters crawling out of the sky didn’t look like anything good to her. Pain and torture wasn’t what she wanted and she had to make sure Bill knew what the plan was here. He had told her that all the rift would do was keep them close. There was nothing about world domination in that plan. 

Mabel gave Bill’s had a small tug as Dipper backed away, eyes full of fear. When Bill didn’t respond to her, she tugged his hand again, but more rough this time. Bill’s gaze snapped down to her, his smile never faltering. Mabel’s stomach twisted in the worst way as she opened her mouth but could only stutter. For some reason, all the blind trust she was giving him started to wither away. The only thing she could do was stutter like an idiot as her brother backed away even further, retreating into the mystery shack. Even now, her own twin left her out here without a thought. 

“Bill I…” She bit at her lip as she tried to find the words but he cut her off. 

“Let’s go Pines!! Let’s rule together!!” He spoke cheerfully, his voice having that strange tint from when he used to just have his triangle form. Bill was starting to sound like his old self now and Mabel didn’t like that one bit. Before she could protest, Bill held her hand in an iron grip and pulled her into the forest which didn’t look that inviting now. The darkness seemed darker and the once bright sunrise was looking more blood red than what she was used to. Mabel could swear she could hear faint screams in the distance but it was all drowned out by Bill’s cheerful humming that seemed to fill her ears and take over her thoughts, erasing any doubts. 

Mabel’s expression turned from worried to peaceful as she happily walked with him, all her doubts washing away like magic, replaced with Bill’s lovely voice. She had not a care in the world and everything was like it should be. The trees always moved, she told herself. The ground always squirmed beneath her feet. The grip on her hand didn’t seem so tight now and the man beside her was completely trustworthy. Everything was like it should be and she was blissfully unaware of the many eyes watching her from afar. 

 

A/N: Okay so this is sort of relevant but thank you for all of your input. I really didn't think anyone cared about my story that much and you guys all make me so happy. Anyways! The point is, if you have any prompts for me, don’t hesitate to share! I uh….this is my only story right now...so...when its done my...life will be over. I need help. SO! email me! Please! 

A few rules, no stancest. please. No sex. Please. No Pinecest. PLEASE. Other than that, I’m open! 

ravioisgay@gmail.com (don’t ask about the email name, I know, not very professional)


	15. Chapter 15

Mabel woke up in her own bed at the mystery Shack. The blankets wrapped around her were like clouds they were so soft, and she could barely feel the mattress under her. Normally, the mattress was hard as a rock and she never slept very well but now, she felt very well rested and refreshed as she sat up and stretched. Outside, the sun was shining pleasantly and there were birds singing her a nice song to wake her up. Standing up, Mabel was pleasantly surprised that the wooden boards beneath her feet were perfectly smooth and polished. Normally, every time she walked without slippers on these floors, she would risk a splinter. 

Walking downstairs, she hoped there would be more pleasant surprises. Smiling, she saw Bill sitting at the table looking happy. Sitting across from him was Dipper and Ford and they were all eating cake. There was not an ounce of hatred or unease on any of their faces as they ate their breakfast which was, when Mabel looked closer, cake. It had always been Mabel’s dream to eat cake for breakfast but Stan had always said no because cake mix was expensive apparently. 

Dipper looked up, “Hi Mabel! Good morning! Do you want to make a scrapbook with me today?” He said cheerfully

Mabel smiled, thrilled that he would offer to do something like that with her. Something didn’t seem quite right about all of their cheerful smiles but the thought went away as soon as it had came.  
“Sure! Can Bill help too?” She asked, grabbing herself a piece of cake. 

“Sure! I don’t see why not!” Dipper said happily. Again, something in Mabel told her that it was quite odd not to see Dipper being suspicious about Bill. The brother she knew would definitely be against Bill even coming into the Shack. And wasn’t there something keeping Bill out of the shack? She couldn’t quite grasp the thought as it slipped away again and she turned her attention back to the delicious cake she was eating. 

Mabel swore she could see glitter floating through the air as she looked around and she found it quite odd that everything she had ever wanted was right there for her. If she wanted Ford to offer to play with her, he would ask not a minute later. Say Mabel wanted pancakes for dinner, that would be the thing Stan happened to be making for her. Though every time she would try and really think about what was going on, her mind would focus on something else. Whether it be a bird of a spec of dust, she always found herself distracted from things that were probably important. 

Suddenly, on her fifth day of eating cake for breakfast, Dipper burst through the door to the Shack. This Dipper, on the other hand, didn’t look like the Dipper she had come to know over the past few days. This Dipper was bruised and covered in dirt and looked more like the old Dipper she knew. A bruised and dirt covered Wendy ran in behind him, followed by Soos in the same condition. 

“Mabel, let’s go!! We have to get out of here!” The new Dipper yelled, grabbing ahold of her arm and pulling her towards the door. What did he think he was doing, taking her away from where she felt safe and happy. She didn’t want to leave, she was fine where she was. 

“No!” Mabel yanked her arm out of his grasp and took a step back. “I like it here.” She huffed. 

“Mabel, gravity falls is falling apart!! Bill is ruining everything!! He-He has the throne of stone people-”

Mabel had had enough “No. Bill isn’t like that. He wouldn’t do that.” She glared at him. Bill was her friend, she knew that. Her mind wouldn’t even let her consider the fact that Bill might be ruining gravity falls. It didn’t concern her that she truly couldn’t think anything bad about Bill. Mabel assumed it was just because she trusted him and she knew in her heart that Dipper was lying. “Bill has always been there for me. He’s kind and caring and gentle. Sure he has a bit of a temper but he would never do something like that.” She told him firmly. She wasn’t going back and that was final. 

“Mabel he’s lying to you!! He’s tricking you, you have got to see that! Just listen to me, I’m your twin!!” Dipper pleaded, hoping she would listen. 

“Dipper is right dude, Bill’s a maniac!” Wendy said, knowing Dipper wasn’t going to get through to her. If there was one thing that could get through to this girl, it was everyone she knew telling her that Bill was wrong. Wendy looked over at Soos for help. 

“Hambone, you gotta come see this.” Soos nodded in agreement. 

Mabel looked between them and thought hard about what they were saying and it was like glass shattered inside her mind. Here was Dipper, Wendy and Soos all beat up and bruised and she wasn’t even going to listen? All of the thoughts she had previously pushed aside came rushing back to her. Bill had been acting very strange to her and it wasn’t normal that her thoughts had been pushed aside like they were. Mabel suspected Bill had something to do with that too. 

“See! Mabel you have to get out of here! At least let us show you!” Dipper tried again, seeing the unease on her expression. Maybe what they were doing was helping. It had to be, or else Dipper wasn’t sure what he would do. 

“Alrig-” Mabel was just about to agree with her twin when cackling laughter filled her head. It was the same feeling as the song he sang to her, his voice filling her head as if he was everywhere and in her mind all at the same time. Seeing Dipper, Wendy and Soos press their palms against theirs ears told her that they were hearing it the same way.   
The fake family she had inside this fake world started melting away like melting ice cream, their faces drooping, eyeballs falling to the floor. The sight was terrifying to Mabel, as she let out a terrified shriek, though it was lost in the laughter that was slowly getting louder. The louder it got, the more her ears hurt. Mabel began to feel a pulsing throb in her eardrums that were probably about to burst. Though just when she thought she couldn’t take anymore, it all stopped. 

Dipper and Wendy looked up in surprise, as did Mabel. Everything was deadly quiet, not a sound anywhere.

“Hello.” A terrifyingly soft voice drifted from behind Mabel and she turned to see the face of her once very best friend, inches from her own face. He was bending down, with his hands behind his back and he was wearing a horrifyingly wide grin on his face. Though through it all, Mabel saw no sign of cruelty in that smile of it. And strangely, she wasn’t afraid of him.


	16. Chapter 16

“Now what brings you three here?” Bill narrowed his eyes, straightening up and pointing at Dipper, Wendy and Soos. Dipper swallowed nervously but otherwise look determined. Wendy held herself tall, clenching her fists, and even Soos proud and strong. Though through all of this, Mabel felt powerless yet stuck in the middle. Bill took a step in front of her, shielding her from their views. Now all Mabel could see was the back of Bill’s yellow suit.

Of course, this did not sit well for Dipper. No demon was going to keep his little sister from him, no matter what the case was. The fact that his little sister was out of sight, behind that horrible demon made his blood boil. Wendy and Soos must have been feeling the same since when Bill stepped in front of his twin, both of their breaths hitched. Now, seeing all of their reactions made Bill smirk. Oh how He loved messing with them. Though back to the task at hand, no one should be bothering his Shooting Star. Bill had enough on his plate, he didn't need this too.

“I asked you a question.” Bill growled, baring his teeth much like a dog would. The sight made Dipper shiver but he stood firm. Mabel peeked around Bill, only for him to sidestep, hiding her from view again. Mabel felt alone, cut off from everything. Much like she did before Bill came to help her. When she was cut off from Dipper and Ford. All in all, it was not a very nice or foreign feeling to her.

“We’re going to show her what you're actually doing. What you have already ruined. you took away people's homes, their lives. I'm going to show her the truth.” Dipper spoke with a firm yet determined tone. One that Bill didn't like in the slightest.

 _Mabel didn't need to be out there with the party._ Bill thought to himself. She's just fine here. Deep down he knew she would be upset. He knew this wasn't what she wanted. All Bill needed was her to stay in her bubble just for the destruction phase. Then, for the rebirth phase, he would let her out and they could build a new earth together. As a team Bill could get Mabel anything she desired. Smirking to himself, Bill decided his plan wasn't such an evil one when you put it that way.

Looking around, he noticed this fake world was not how he left it. There was no supporting, sickeningly sweet family, there was no glitter, there was no fun. Bill's jaw clenched. this place was an illusion to fit Mabel's mind, and would stay real as long as Mabel wanted to stay here. As soon as she doubted being here or wanted to leave, it would all disintegrate. Seeing as there was nothing around, that seems to be what happened. Of course, because how could Bill expect his plans would ever go smoothly. Every time he had a brilliant plan, someone in this family had to ruin it. Thinking about it this way made Bill furious.

Spinning around, Bill picked Mabel up by the collar of her sweater and brought her face close to his. He could feel her breathing pick up as fear settled in, but he didn't care. How dare she doubt him and his trust. How dare she decide she’d had enough of this world that he went out of his way to make for her.

“So you want to leave with them. Huh? you trust the people who never cared about you -”

“That's not true Mabel -!!” Dipper tried to interject but Bill ignored him and the tears in Mabel's eyes, and continued.

“- over me, who pieced you together when you were broken.” Saying this to her got Bill all fired up and a few of his teeth grew pointed and his eyes turned red. Of course this did not help Mabel's fear as now she was crying and trembling.

Roughly, Bill threw her aside. He would deal with her later. Slowly, the atmosphere around them changed. One moment, they had been standing in a fake Mystery Shack and within the next five seconds, they were standing in the center of Bill’s fortress back in reality. Mabel, of course, had no idea where they were as she had never seen the place. Dipper, Wendy, and Soos, however, knew exactly where they were. They also knew that the events that were about to unfold, were not going to be fun.

Dipper recognized Bill’s “friends” as soon as he saw them. They stood a good distance away from himself, Wendy, and Soos, but Dipper did not like how they stood closest to Mabel than any of them. The monsters grinned with greed as Mabel picked herself up off the floor and dusted herself off. The thought of them touching her at all brought out a new protective side to himself, one that he didn’t know he had. Dipper had always known that Mabel could handle herself but now he just wanted to keep her hidden away, out of harm’s reach.

Bill noticed his friends’ hungry glances at Mabel and narrowed his eyes. if anyone should look at Mabel that way, it should be himself and himself only. With a wave of his hand, he encased Mabel in a barred cage, resembling a bird cage. That way, she wouldn’t be able to get to anything and nothing would be able to get to her. Bill didn’t notice the looks of disappointment on his friends’ faces when he had taken away their soon to be new toy. Mabel was in a cage and that was exactly how Bill liked her, nice and safe. Now all he would have to do was keep Pine Tree away from her.

Mabel let out a frightened whine and gripped the bars of the cage. Never would she have predicted Bill would act this way. He was so kind, so sincere. He promised her. So why would he do something like this? Mabel stared out with fear at Dipper, who stared back. Dipper gave a small, reassuring smile, to which Mabel returned.

The gesture made Bill growl. How dare Pine Tree try and ruin everything Bill worked so hard for. It took him so long to gain Mabel’s trust only to have it gone in a blink of an eye. This was all that kid’s fault. If he hadn’t have broken into that bubble, Mabel would still be safe and sound. Any harm that comes to her will be all Pine Tree’s fault.

“Get em boys.” Bill hissed, signaling the monsters forward. Mabel couldn't watch, so she turned away. Dipper, Wendy, and Soos braced themselves for the worst.


	17. Chapter 17

Bill’s smirk grew as his friends charged for the pitiful group of humans in front of them. Bill had fully intended to let them turn the three of them into a red sludge but one glance at Mabel made him hesitate. There was something about those tears streaming down her cheeks or maybe it was the bruises on her face that made him hesitate. There was an unfamiliar tug in his chest that made him choke a bit. The feeling hurt, it was almost suffocating. It was just enough to cause Bill to see clearly. To see what he was doing was wrong. Even if there was some part of him that still was going to take over the world, destroying his Shooting Star’s family was not the way to do it. If he was going to do anything about that heartbroken expression, he knew he would have to do it quickly.

“Stop!!” Bill shouted out desperately, hoping they would listen to him. One of them stopped just as they were about to bring a large fist down on Dipper’s head. The rest of them weren’t nearly as close but they all stopped before touching any of the three humans. Bill looked the three of them up and down. Sure, they were all shaking with fear and surprised they were still alive, but at least they were in one piece.

Bill started to get angry with himself. Why would he stop this? Who cares about the three of them. When did stupid things like them become so important. Mabel would get over it. Through his bitterness, Bill snapped and Dipper, Wendy and Soos floated up in the air. Dipper let out a surprised yell which caused Mabel to open her eyes a little. Her eyes widened when she saw them still alive. A small smile crept on her face as she looked over at Bill for explanation. What she saw was her friend who looked at war with himself. She knew he would pull through.

Bill dropped the three of them and they all groaned. Next, Bill made Mabel’s cage disappear. Mabel ran to Dipper and hugged him, making Bill hate what he was doing more. He watched as the young Pines hugged the other two humans next, reassuring them that she was okay. Briefly, he saw Mabel shoot him a glare which shocked him. Shouldn’t he be being thanked for what he did? What was the point of fixing things if he wasn’t going to get a thing in return. Bill’s guilt turned to rage. If he was going to kill any of them, he decided, he would do it himself. Bill raised his hand and Dipper fell to his knees, being choked by an invisible force. Keeping his hand in a snapping position, he grinned widely.

“Any last words Pine Tree?” He spoke softly. Any kind thoughts he had for the Pines were gone in an instant. What a fool he was to almost let them go when he was so close to world domination. He didn’t care about Mabel anymore, how could he. She wasn’t loyal to him at all. What’s the point of having a human pet if she isn’t going to obey.

 _But she isn’t a pet, she’s a dear friend._ The voice in his head told him but he pushed it aside as he had been for the past few days. That voice had gotten him nowhere.

Dipper tried getting air but his throat was cut off, leaving his lungs burning as his hands began to go numb. Mabel was calling his name but he couldn’t focus on what she was trying to say to him. Mabel turned to Bill, her eyes full of tears. Wendy and Soos were panicking, trying to figure out what to do.

“Bill stop!! Please!!” Mabel begged, unable to see him through the tears. Bill didn’t feel that pain in his chest, but his breath did hitch as he lost focus for a split second. Dipper gulped in a breath of air as a result of that brief loss of focus but went back to choking in an instant. Mabel sobbed and Bill finally stopped, letting him breath. If someone were to ask Bill why he did it, he wouldn’t have an answer to give. He couldn’t find it in himself to kill any of them. Bill was all for the idea of it until it got up to that point. Then he just couldn’t will himself to do it. It made him angry. Oh so _angry_.

“Get out.” Bill growled, shaking with white hot anger. Mabel helped Dipper to his feet with the help of Wendy and Soos just ended up picking him up. Mabel was in no shape to talk but Wendy knew exactly what she wanted to say.

“You’re letting us go?” The redhead asked, not about to let her guard down now. Though it seemed like she never let her guard down. Bill glared, his eye glowing red.

“Get. OUT.” His deep voice shook the fortress and Wendy hurried out, holding Mabel’s hand. Soos’s followed behind, carrying the gasping Dipper. They stood at the edge of the floating triangular temple and there in front of them was a very large staircase that would take them down. Mabel hiccuped and tried catching her breath as she took steps down. Wendy just ended up carrying her on her back.

“Is everyone alright?” Wendy asked softly, when they were about halfway down. Mabel has calmed down considerably but everything was just too quiet for Wendy. She understood that they were all in awe that Bill let them all go and she knew it was only because of Mabel, but she wanted, no, needed someone to say something.  
“We’re okay.” Soos said quietly, talking for Dipper whose throat probably hurt too much to say anything.

“I’m alright.” Mabel chirped softly. She was more concerned with the sight of Gravity Falls. This lovely town was definitely not how it was when she left. All of it was complete and utter chaos. From way up where they were, Mabel could see her favorite stores and her friends houses. they were all either burned to the ground or boarded up. The waterfall had turned red and was flowing upwards, into the sky which is definitely not what it was supposed to do. Small animals were on the run and she could see Gompers stomping around, now about four times his size. She didn’t dare try and see the Mystery Shack as she was too afraid of what she might find.

Wendy sighed softly. _Well isn’t this all just one big shit show_ She thought to herself. These kids don’t deserve this. They deserved a happy, smooth summer. Wendy wasn’t even sure what this was, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to. All she could do now was look after these twins and hopefully keep them in the same place. Wendy knew that Mabel wasn’t Mabel without Dipper, and Dipper wasn’t Dipper without Mabel.


	18. Chapter 18

It was sundown when they returned to the Shack. Traveling through the town was traumatic for Mabel as she saw all of the destruction around her. They had to hide out quite a bit to avoid being seen by eye bats and at one point, Dipper nearly got turned to stone. If it wasn’t for Soos, he probably would have been. Wendy had grabbed a wooden board with nails jutting out at the end for a weapon. By the end of the trip, all four of them were covered in blood and some sort of purple goo that splattered on them when Wendy stabbed some sort of thing attached to the ground.

The thing was peach colored and pulsing like some sort of living blob. Wendy had decided to stab it, and it exploded purple goop all over them. The action made Mabel hurl, so Soos carried her the rest of the way. 

They As soon as they stepped foot inside the Shack, Stan pulled them all into a tight hug. One that Mabel was very happy with, as she had missed him more than she realized. How could she have thought that she was going to leave her family. Family is the most important thing to her. She was just in a bad place at the time, but now, she realizes what she did wrong. 

Mabel knows now that she should have said something to Dipper about Bill. She should have told Dipper everything. Though even if she did, Bill would have done this anyways. It didn’t matter what she did, Bill still would have been a gigantic jerk. And that wasn’t something she wanted to think about. Ever since she found out what Bill had been doing, she had just decided not to think about Bill. It was easier that way.

Stan told them how happy he was to see them but all Mabel could think about was if Dipper was angry with her. He had immediately gone and talked with Ford about things and Ford had been looking at Mabel in an odd way. A way that made Mabel’s mouth go dry and her stomach twist painfully. Trying to swallow the lump in her throat, Mabel decided to take a walk. There was nothing like fresh forest air to calm her down. Maybe then she could clear her thoughts, and think straight. She wasn't going to let negative thoughts bother her anymore. Not when they had caused so many problems to her before. This time she was going to make the right decisions in the right mindset. 

So, the young girl grabbed her pack and pulled on her shoes and left silently out the back door. Luckily nobody saw her leave so she was in the clear for now. That was, until somebody noticed she was gone and then everything would go to hell. They would probably think she got kidnapped or turned to stone or something. So, given that, she probably shouldn't leave without telling anyone. But after everything that has happened, she needed some time to herself. So she walked through the forest hoping not to be seen.

Mabel decided that after her long walk, she would ask Dipper what he was saying to Ford. Being forward with him was what she should have done before, and she would make up for it now. Then, she was going to apologize to everyone. After all, all of this was her fault. If she would have just listened to Dipper, none of this would be happening. Bill wouldn’t have betrayed her. Dipper wouldn’t have nearly died. Gravity Falls wouldn’t have been destroyed. Yeah, she had a lot to apologize for. 

She wondered how Bill was now, and what he was doing and where he was. Was he feeling guilty for what he did or did he not care? Mabel missed her friend even though she knew he had changed for the worst. Even though he had broke her heart, she did not regret trusting him. Sure she wanted to give him a swift slap, but she also wanted to give him a warm hug. For all she knew he could feel bad for what he did. After all, he did let them go after she had been crying. She begged him to listen, and that's exactly what he did. She didn't think she should be so mad at him for doing what she wanted him to do. Deep down she knew her friend was in there wanting to help her. All she had to do now, was get to him. 

Sighing, she gingerly climbed over a fallen tree. It really hurt her to see all this destruction. She really, truly thought Bill was a good person now. He had cared for her and comforted her but had still done this. She wished she knew what was going on inside that head of his. 

Suddenly, many animals scurried past her, running back towards where she came from. _What is going on?_  Mabel thought to herself. Before she could think another thought, she felt a sharp pain in her head and then all she knew was darkness. Vaguely, she felt her body hit the floor. There was a very very cold grip around her ankles and she felt herself being dragged across the floor before drifting off into unconsciousness. 

Bill stood at the edge of the fortress looking out at the town. He couldn’t help but wonder where his little Shooting Star was. Was she learning to hate him for what he did? Was she regaining her relationship with her family? Was she even thinking about him? He felt the wind blow through his hair and he realized how interesting it was to be human. He could feel the cool breeze on his skin as the sun went down. The sunrise suddenly looked much more beautiful to Bill than it ever had before. The red from the sun bled into orange which faded into a soft yellow. 

Sometimes, when he concentrated hard enough, he could hear her. He could hear Mabel talking as if he was with her. He heard her talk to her Grunkle Stan about the world he had made up. He heard her apologize to her brother. But those small intervals was all he needed. Those brief moments of hearing his friend kept him going every day he had to go without her. Occasionally he could even see her as if he were standing right in front of her. Seeing the hidden pain in her eyes that he knew so well. the pain the he wished he could take away.

That was what he was trying to do now, but he couldn’t seem to hear anything. Maybe she wasn’t saying anything, so he tried seeing her but everything was dark. It was as if he were standing in a pitch black room. Goosebumps spread across his skin as he realized that something wasn’t right. Bill couldn’t see Mabel, nor could he hear her, and that was not something he liked. 

Immediately, he headed towards the Mystery Shack, floating through the air at amazing speeds. If there was anyone who knew where she might be, it was them. Bill weaved through the trees as darkness fell through the forest. He slowed when the lights of the windows to the Shack came into view. Softly, Bill’s feet touched the ground as he stood near the Shack. Bill knew he couldn’t get any closer because of the barrier there but he could see people running around inside. Things looked frantic in there and Bill could guess why. Mabel had gone missing. 


	19. Chapter 19

As soon as Ford saw Bill standing outside, he knew. There wasn’t any other solution to this, Bill had something to do with her disappearance. Anyone who wanted to mess with the Pines family was going to get torn apart. Gritting his teeth, Ford marched outside with the intent of seriously hurting Bill. Bringing his arm back, Ford gave Bill a brutal punch, with force enough to make Bill stumble back a bit. Satisfied, Ford shook his six fingered hand from the dull pain. Though he was surprised when Bill made no move to harm him in return. He just looked back at Ford with an expression of longing and pain. Why, Ford wasn't sure.   
“Where is she.” Ford tried. Obviously Bill had taken her right? Wasn’t he going to say anything? 

“I don’t know.” Bill grit out. He didn’t care about the fact that he had been punched. He didn’t care about his pride anymore. The only thing Bill wanted was Mabel back safe and sound. That would be enough for him. 

“What? What do you mean you don’t know.” Ford demanded. Bill was their only hope, as much as he hated to admit it. The only person who would have even a lead on where the girl was, was Bill. And now he’s saying that he has no idea where she is? No, Ford wasn’t going to accept that. 

“I’ll help you find her. I’ll help you look.” Bill took a step towards Ford, who took a step back. The urgency in Bill’s eyes made Ford a bit cautious. Why did he want Mabel back so badly? What was he going to do to her?

Seeing the caution in Ford’s eyes, Bill took a step back. If he wanted this particular Pines to work with him, he knew he would have to careful with what he said. If Bill said one word wrong, he would have to look for her by himself. To find his young troublemaker, Bill would need all the help he could get. 

“Please...she’s...she’s very important to me..honestly…” Bill shocked even himself with the emotion in his voice. For the first time, he felt as though he wasn’t hiding anything. Bill was telling the whole entire truth. There was no hidden meaning, there was nothing he wasn’t saying. Telling the Pines man that Mabel was very important was incredibly accurate and it was all he needed to say. The phrase explained their whole relationship. She is important to him. 

Ford could see the honesty in his eyes as well. Obviously, Ford has trust issues with Bill and wasn’t easy to convince. Though if he was getting an offer to find his niece from the demon who is in control of the whole town. Bill was still the best chance any of them had to find her. 

So the two of them came up with a deal. They would search the forest, Bill flying overhead and the rest of the townsfolk who got away would search on the ground. Of course, it took some convincing to get the rest of them to work with Bill. Ford had to remind them that Bill is their only hope. He is the only thing that will increase their chances. Dipper was quick to realize this but Stan was very bitter about it. Though after a few hours he came around, saying he would do anything to find her. 

With Bill on their side, they could search in the day as they didn’t have to worry about being turned to stone by the flying eye bats. Knowing this, the townsfolk were a bit relieved. Leaving the house was always a difficult thing to do seeing as every time anyone would step outside they would be risking their life. They told Bill to sleep outside or wherever he wanted to. But Bill couldn’t bring himself to sleep. Day after day they searched with nothing. 

Bill searched through the night after everyone else turned in to sleep. Finding Mabel was his top priority, nothing was above that. Until now, he had been searching in the air, glazing through the trees. Though now, the sun high in the sky, he decided that he would try searching the ground. So he walked, looking for any sign of the girl who made him feel. The bright, shining Shooting Star he knew. As he walked, the birds stopped singing in the trees. Bill knew that when the birds stopped singing, it didn’t mean anything good. The trees grew thicker and they started to block out the sun. The breeze grew colder and the trees swayed, creaking moans filled the air. 

Bill glanced around, on edge. His senses heightened, he heard something jumping through the trees above him. Looking up, he was startled to see a smiling face staring down at him. The teeth were bright and white, as well as the eyes staring at him. The smile was twisted and stretched across the round face it belonged to. The creature looked as if it was made of rubber, the ting black and its limbs twisting around effortlessly. The thing opened its mouth wide and let out a sound that shook Bill to his core. Mabel’s terrified, blood curdling screams came out of the things mouth.


	20. Chapter 20

Bill took a small step back, encouraging the monster to believe that it had the upper hand. Surprisingly, the things smile stretched wider, its eyes thinning to small slits. The once bright, white eyes turned black, with only red circles for pupils. Then, it let out a loud cackle. The sight was really, quite terrifying and the size of the huge monster intimidated Bill. Slightly.

Giving a grin of his own, Bill rose into the air raising his arms in the process. Blue fire appeared in the palms of his hand as his eyes also started glowing a bright red. The thing opened its wide mouth again, letting out another one of Mabel’s horrified screams. Though the sound was heart wrenching for Bill, this time he was prepared for it, he grit his teeth and grabbed its face, interrupting the screams and threw it roughly to the side. The thing slammed into a tree, but only let out hysterical laughs. Bill stared at it, finally starting to realize that the laughs sounded very similar to his own.

The thought startled Bill, giving the creature its chance to breath in a giant breath of air and he let out more of Mabel’s screams but this time they were words, not just screams. Bill’s breath hitched in his throat as he listened. Mabel, her voice, was screaming for him. She was yelling out for his help, and all Bill could think about was the fact that he wasn’t there. He wasn’t there to calm her as she screamed and he wasn’t there to comfort her. Now that he thought back, he never has been there for her, not really. He’s been taking advantage of her pain, manipulating her into trusting him. The thought made his stomach twist painfully and he grit his teeth.

Bill wasn’t about to be defeated by a monster who wasn’t even touching him. Broken, just by the sounds of the girl he cared for. When Bill died, if ever, he would go humbly. Doing what he thought was right. The concept was new to him, but not one that he wanted to ignore. What he thought was right isn’t always going to be what other think is right, but that isn’t what matters. That is something Mabel has taught Bill, and he was going to live by it from now on.

No longer having any of its bullshit, Bill snapped and the thing started melting. Its eyes drooped down its face and it let out a horrified shriek. Trying desperately to stay alive, it swung its arms around, attempting to land a final hit on Bill. Though its efforts were pointless, as Bill lazily moved back. The expression on Bill’s face only made the monster angrier as it melted into a puddle of goop. It couldn’t stand the fact that Bill looked bored, as if there was so many other things he would rather be doing. As its screams quieted into silence and as it drew its last breath, Bill started directing his attention to Mabel, who was nowhere to be seen.

“MABEL!!!!” Bill yelled out, hoping she would hear him and hopefully yell back. The thought that maybe she was gagged or unconscious didn't even occur to Bill as he looked around. Sighing and groaning in defeat, Bill ran his hands through his hair, looking up into the sky. Startled, he was met with the sight of his young Pines ties up in a branch above him. If he hadn’t have looked up in a fit of frustration, he would have never seen her. The poor girl was tied so tightly that he could see where her skin was raw and bleeding from the rough rope. A piece of cloth covered her mouth and her eyes and she was completely motionless.  
For a moment, Bill thought she was dead but was proved wrong as her chest moved up and down slightly, signaling her breathing. Snapping, the ropes, blindfold and gag was removed from her and she gently floated towards him. Her skin was sheet white and the area around her eyes was all red. Bill, with a hunch that he hoped was wrong, lifted her shirt to reveal a horrid wound. Lodged in her stomach, was what looked like a very large bee stinger. Around it, her skin had started turning a dark blackish-grey. The color was of course spreading to her sides and up to her chest, where Bill feared it would soon take her life.

“No no no no...no no Shooting Star, I refuse to let this happen to you. No. “ Gently, he took her in his arms and knelt down to the floor, holding her close. He tried shaking her, slapping her gently, and yelling out her name but she remained motionless. Bill hadn’t expected a response from her but it didn’t hurt to try. Bill knew that he couldn’t do a damn thing unless he had the antidote but at the moment he needed it most, the information as to what it was failed him. It was a horrible reason to let his best friend die, yes, but he just couldn’t remember. And at the moment in time, as the one he truly loved was dying in his arms, and he couldn’t remember what the antidote was, was the moment he felt as human as he looked. Bill felt vulnerable. Scared. Helpless. At that moment in time, he didn’t know what to do.

Feeling tears drip down his face, Bill sobbed. All of this pain, sorrow, because of him. Him and his stupid, selfish decisions. Bill didn’t barely notice the footsteps behind him. He didn’t register the six fingered hand on his shoulder or the shocked gasp from behind him. Though what he did notice was the vial of a silvery liquid being pulled out of the pocket of the man who was now standing in front of him. Ford knelt down, now at eye level with Bill. Slowly, he held up the vial for him to see, and took a shaky breath, trying to calm himself.

“You take this, and leave her alone.” Ford spoke, his tone both low, and firm. He needed Bill to understand that he was not going to give him the vial unless he promised to leave his niece alone. Bill was nothing but trouble for her and she didn’t need that. Both her and her twin deserved to grow up happy, and together. Bill would only separate them.

Bill, not even hesitating, gave a nod, understanding fully and completely what that meant for both him and Mabel. Ford handed over the vial.

 

Epilogue

 

Mabel hadn’t seen Bill since she left his fortress during weirdmageddon. That was a year ago, six months since she could go outside again. Recovering from her sickness had been hell but with Dipper by her side again, she pushed through it. No one had said anything about where Bill was or what happened but to her knowledge, everything, all the horror, the monsters, had just stopped. There was no final battle, there was no fight at all, it was all just gone. Every time she would ask about Bill, everyone would just pretend she didn’t say anything. It began to frustrate her but she decided to stop asking.

Every now and then, she would think she saw him out of the corner of her eye. As her breath would hitch in her throat and excitement would flood her body, she would always turn around as quickly as she could. Though every single time, she would see nothing. Mabel wasn’t sure if it was actually him or if it was just a trick of the light, but she was determined to find him. She was determined and nothing would stop her.

On countless nights, she would try to summon him with the incantation that she remembered from the journal but she never remembered it right. She’s never been good at the pronunciations. Eventually, she just called out to him as if he was actually there and that gave her some results. Every night that she would call out to him, then give up and go to sleep, he would be in her dreams. It was the same dream every time. Bill would be standing in front of her and then reach out and gently touch her face, his touch being so gently and soft. He would then open his mouth to say something, and Mabel would always wake up before he could speak.

For months, that’s all she could manage to get in terms of contacting with him and she was starting to get inpatient. In a fit of anger, she formed an idea. Sure it was a nasty idea, but it would get her the results she wanted. One day, when she was sure she was home alone, Mabel went to the bathroom, and grabbed a box of razors. Grabbing one out, she held it to her wrist. Before she could press down, a hand, gentle and soft, grabbed onto the wrist of the hand holding the razor, stopping her. He let go after a few seconds and vanished from behind her. Shakily, she put the razor back in the box. Then and there, she knew he had always been with her.

 

**Bunfeet: Hey guys I'm very sorry for the delay. I've been horribly busy. If you want more, maybe you want me to explain or write little shorts for this fic (as in anything you want to see in her future or Bill's), I will. Email me any prompts you have for this story, or just any prompts in general for a new story.**

**Cearra102814@gmail.com**


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